, 

• 


CHIP.  Imm>  IOS 


PROFESSOR 


A   STORY  OF  ENGLISH   AND   AMERICAN   SOCIAL  AND 
POLITICAL   LIFE. 


BT 

HOX.   L.   S.   HUNTINGTON,  Q.C., 

(LATE  POSTMASTER-GENERAL  OF  CANADA,  <fcc.,  &o.,  Ac.) 


It  Is  not  that  I  adulate  the  people ; 
Without  me  there  are  demagogues  enough. 
And  infidels  to  pull  down  every  steeple. 
And  set  up  In  their  stead  some  common  stuff. 
*    *    I  do  not  know— I  wish  men  to  be  free. 
As  much  from  mobs  as  kings — from  you  as  me. 

LORD  BTBON. 


NEW  YORK  : 

H.  WORTHIXGTON,  770  BROADWAY. 

1884. 


CoFTPIGHT,  1884, 

BY  B.  WORTHINGTON. 


TO 

PROFESSOR   GOLDWIN   SMITH,    D.C.L., 

|  glcbitate  ibis  little  Storg, 

BT    PERMISSION, 

AS    A.    TRIBT7TE    OF  RESPECT    FOR    HIS    GREAT    REFUTATION 
AB 

AN    EMINENT    PUBLICIST, 

AN  ACUTE  AND  LIBERAL  THINKER, 

AND    A    ERELLIAXT    WRITER, 

AND  AS  A  TOKEN  OF 

PERSONAL  ESTEEM  AND  FRIENDSHIP. 

THE  AUTHOR. 

153  W.  46TH  ST., 

NEW  TORE,  APRIL,  1384. 


2130178 


PREFACE 


THE  characters  that  flit  along  these  pages  were 
pleasant  companions  of  the  author's  enforced  seclusion 
during  the  weeks  in  which  they  were  written.  Some  of 
them  should  be  careful  thinkers  in  their  various  walks 
of  life;  and  they  should  all  be  good  talkers,  for  they 
are  well  instructed  and  they  have  seen  the  world.  Their 
discussions  are,  of  course,  cursory,  for  they  pick  up 
topics  and  lay  them  down  again,  in  rapid  succession. 
If  we  listen  sometimes  to  an  enthusiast,  a  cool  conserva- 
tive is  at  hand  to  reply.  The  author  assumes  only  the 
role  of  a  reporter,  and  the  public  will  judge  if  he  does 
his  work  well.  He  is  not  responsible  for  what  his  char- 
acters say,  but  only  for  giving  them  the  opportunity  to 
say  it. 

Their  loves  and  exultations,  their  griefs  and  perils, 
the  modest  "  talks,"  in  which  they  discuss  their  plans, 
and  their  theories  of  religious,  political  and  social  life 
became  strangely  real  to  him  who  wrote.  The  story 
ceases  to  be  fiction  when  the  great  English  Lord  is 
found  at  the  feet  of  the  American  girl,  and  when  the 
great  English  scholar  pursues  his  inquiries  among 
Massachusetts  farmers  and  generally  studies  Democ- 
racy as  the  countries  of  America  are  teaching  it.  We 
must  all  learn  that  lesson,  kings  and  people,  or  suffer 


iv  PREFACE. 

for  not  comprehending  it.  Carlyle  says  :  "  Universal 
Democracy,  whatever  we  may  think  of  it,  has  declared 
itself,  as  an  inevitable  fact  of  the  days  in  which  we 
live,"  and  a  greater  than  Carlyle  has  ordained  that  to 
study  the  loves  of  men  and  women  is  to  court  enchant- 
ment and  infatuation. 

The  author  has  thus  woven  a  little  romance  with 
characters  English,  American  and  Colonial,  and  has 
ventured  thereby  to  suggest  that  fealty  to  Liberty  which 
Society  should  exact  from  those  who  love  and  would 
maintain  political  freedom ;  in  the  faith,  that  the  more 
nearly  England  and  America  are  drawn  together  in  every 
relation  which  promotes  human  happiness,  the  better 
service  will  they  render  mankind. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  A  DINNER  AT  THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON. 1 

II.  LORDS  AND  LADIES 5 

III.  BLOOD  is  THICKER  THAN  WATER 12 

IV.  THE  PLOT  THICKENS 25 

V.  THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LORD 33 

VI.   A  VOICE   FROM  THE   TROSSACHS 47 

VII.  THE  JOLLIEST  TRIP  EVER  PROJECTED 62 

VIII.  GOING  DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS 68 

IX.  ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL 77 

X.  COMING  INTO  THE  TRACK  OF  A  STORM 88 

XI.  DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING  QUESTIONS 97 

XII.  AVE  SANCTISSIMA Ill 

XIII.  WHO  COULD  FORESEE  PERILS  ? 127 

XIV.  THE  KING  OF  TERRORS    141 

XV.  DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH 156 

XVI.  THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY 171 

XVII.  THE  JESUIT  AND  THE  ORANGEMAN 183 

XVIII.  THE  PROFESSOR  VISITS  BOSTON 190 

XIX.  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS 203 

XX.  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA 227 

XXI.  HOMEWARD  BOUND 250 

XXII.  THINE  AND  MINE 255 

XXIII.  THE  BRITISH  LION  FONDLES  THE  PROFESSOR 273 

XXIV.  GATHERING  IN  THE  THREADS 280 

XXV.  Nous  VERRONS..  .  .  290 


PROFESSOR    CONANT. 


CHAPTER   L 

A  DINNER  AT  THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON. 

"On,  the  fool !"  said  Tom  Conant,  "to  sell  himself  to 
Hymen  for  an  ugly  woman  and  two  thousand  a  year. 
"Why  not  have  gone  to  America,  where,  I  am  told,  pretty 
women  abound,  handsome  and  rich  too,  by  Jove,  who  are 
crying  their  eyes  out  for  foreigners  of  high  birth  ?" 

"Not  so  fast,  young  man,"  replied  the  person  ad- 
dressed, "  she  was  a  pretty  girl  and  is  a  most  interesting 
woman ;  I  only  thought  her  a  little  exacting,  and  that 
George  was  somewhat  under  restraint.  Pray,  don't 
quote  me  as  an  authority  if  you  are  to  say  these  naughty 
things.  Mrs.  George  is  a  prophetess  as  well  as  an 
heiress,  and  there  are  little  birds  to  carry,  far  into  the 
North,  the  story  of  our  confabulating  here.  I'll  wager 
you  that  when  we  next  meet  her  she  will  wear  an  odd 
smile  of  contempt  for  our  opinions." 

"  Nonsense,  Edgar,  I  am  too  much  in  earnest  to  heed 
your  badinage.  Poor  Wallace  is  the  type  of  a  class ;  a 
brave  soldier,  an  impecunious  gentleman,  beloved  by 
his  friends  and  crazed  by  the  usurers.  He  wins  the 
usual  distinctions  of  a  fast  life — debts  and  other  doubt- 
ful things,  and  then  he  sells  out  and  marries." 

"Well,  Tom,  that  seems  to  me  better  than  suicide. 
1  1 


2  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

If  George  might  have  done  better  he  might  have  done 
worse ;  and,  after  all,  the  bonnie  bride  may  even  run 
more  risk  than  her  Lord.  My  sojourn  was  very  pleasant 
in  Scotland ;  but  the  Scotch  are  a  canny,  clannish  people. 
It  was  my  first  visit,  and  they  could  scarcely  understand 
my  early  neglect  of  their  country.  '  Did  I  know,'  they 
asked, '  when  I  first  stepped  foot  in  Glasgow,  that  I  was 
in  the  second  city  of  the  Empire?  And  what  had  I 
thought  when  I  saw  the  crowds  pouring  towards  George's 
Square  ?'  I  bethought  me  of  the  Cockney's  answer,  but 
I  dared  not  repeat  it.  What  did  I  think?  Why,  I 
thought  what  numbers  of  Scotchmen  there  are  still  to 
come  South !"  Tom  laughed. 

"  That's  a  good  joke.  But,  if  you  put  it  in  a  book,  only 
London  Scotchmen  will  understand  it.  I  will  not  quote 
the  familiar  slander  about  a  surgical  operation ;  but 
look  at  his  Lordship  now,  to  come  near  home,  and  tell 
me  if  you  think  he  would  take  it  in  !  " 

"  Ah,  no,"  replied  Col.  Lyons,  "  his  Lordship  never 
laughs  at  anything  Scotch.  He  told  me  himself  that  he 
thought  Dean  Ramsay's  '  Reminiscences '  an  utter  waste 
of  powder  and  shot.  But  he's  no  fool,  though  he  is 
peculiar.  I  believe,  like  Dundreary,  he  might  be  still 
in  doubt  as  to  whether  a  certain  nondescript  young 
lady  likes  cheese  ;  but  he's  a  good  fellow,  all  the  same, 
and  now  he  comes " 

A  tall,  slight  man  with  an  uncertain  gait  and  a  nervous 
manner  approached  the  group.  He  was  reserved  but 
gentle,  and  you  saw  that  he  was  welcome  and  among 
friends. 

"Is  Tom  in  mischief  to-night  as  usual?"  he  asked, 
good  humoredly ;  but  he  was  only  answered  with  a  laugh 
and  a  protest  from  Capt.  Conant. 


A  DINNER  AT  THE  TOWER  OF  LONDON.  3 

Lord  Bolton  was  older  than  his  companions,  though 
still  in  the  freshness  and  vigor  of  life.  He  never  talked 
of  his  age  ;  he  never  encouraged  others  to  speak  of  it. 
He  might  regret  the  days  of  his  early  youth,  or  he 
might  dread  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  that  comes 
with  years.  Dr.  Blair  somewhere  remarks  that  "at 
thirty  a  man  suspects  himself  a  fool,  at  forty  he  knows 
it."  My  Lord  never  enlightens  you  about  his  suspi- 
cions. "Don't  speak  of  birthdays,"  he  would  say, 
"their  admonitions  are  unpleasant." 

His  finely  formed  head  was  "  silvered  o'er,"  but  you 
knew  it  was  not  the  frost  of  age ;  and,  if  his  pleasing 
face  seemed  a  little  weary,  you  saw  it  was  still  young, 
and  had  not  been  worn  with  years  of  labor.  He  spoke, 
at  first,  with  a  slight  lisp,  and  with  a  diffident  manner ; 
but  he  had  been  known  to  display  earnestness,  and  at 
times  eloquence.  His  perceptions  were  not  quick,  but 
his  good  sense  was  proverbial.  Perhaps  his  sayings 
would  pass  into  proverbs  more  readily  than  those  of 
humbler  folk.  Some  of  his  young  friends  were  critical, 
and  they  found  him  a  laggard  in  love  and  slow  to  inter- 
pret a  joke.  All  this  may  change  as  we  see  and  hear 
more  of  him.  His  associates  might  differ  as  to  his 
eccentricities,  but  he  had  a  kindly  word  for  them  all. 

Our  friends  are  guests  of  Col.  Lyons,  of  the  

Guards,  whose  regiment  had  been  lately  detailed  for 
garrison  duty  at  the  old  Tower  of  London.  A  party  of 
young  officers  and  their  friends  have  assembled  and  are 
awaiting  dinner  in  the  mess-room,  once  sacred  to  the 
sorrows  of  great  prisoners  of  State.  On  the  walls 
around  might  still  be  seen  lines  traced  by  the  delicate 
hand  of  the  Lady  Jane  Grey,  in  the  dismal  solitude  of 
her  last  imprisonment. 


4  PROFESSOR  CONAXT. 

The  great  fortress  slept,  with  all  her  landmarks  and 
trophies,  her  memories  of  generations  of  cruelty,  and 
the  contests — now  glorious,  anon  reeking  with  infamy- 
through  which  the  fabric  of  British  liberty  was  built  up. 

The  place  calls  up  many  reminiscences  to-night,  for 
the  Lord  High  Constable  is  among  the  guests,  but  few 
of  them  are  contemplating  the  past.  The  speculations 
of  the  antiquaries,  if  there  be  any  among  the  present 
gathering,  are  not  concerned  with  the  early  morning 
of  history.  Contemplation  may  come  with  the  morrow ; 
just  now  the  guests  are  drowning  thought  in  their 
happy  revels,  and  their  boisterous  laughter  provokes  no 
echo  of  remonstrance,  or  reproach  from  the  illustrious 
shadows  that  have  so  long  hovered  over  the  mysteries 
of  the  Tower. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LOEDS   AND  LADIES. 

THE  painter  in  oil  and  the  sculptor  in  marble  produce 
the  form,  the  pose,  perhaps  even  the  expression  of 
features,  which  it  is  only  left  for  the  word-painter  to 
describe. 

The  mass  of  men  think  so  much  by  images  that  they 
need  a  palpable  figure,  a  material  copy,  to  create  an  im- 
pression, while  the  word-painter  seldom  achieves  more 
than  the  musical  jingle  of  his  words.  The  advantages 
are  reversed  when  we  come  to  describe  qualities  instead 
of  things ;  the  spiritual,  instead  of  the  material,  agen- 
cies of  being ;  not  because  the  word-picture  is  perfect, 
but  because  art  cannot  scan  the  domain  of  the  imma- 
terial, nor,  within  it,  can  she  "  hold  nature  up  to  na- 
ture's God."  And  yet,  it  does  not  follow  that  one 
should  never  paint  in  words  what  can  be  photographed 
by  the  sun.  Enough  may  be  fairly  deduced  to  shorten 
many  pen-and-ink  sketches,  and  perhaps  lighten  the 
labor,  and  sometimes  even  the  sin,  of  many  readers ; 
some  of  whom  weary  over  much  description,  and  others, 
alas !  wickedly  vault  it  altogether. 

Tom  Conant  was  the  son  of  an  Oxford  professor  of 
distinction,  who  had  lately  added  to  a  life  of  scholastic 
honors  the  dignities  of  a  member  of  Her  Majesty's 
House  of  Commons.  He  was  an  author  of  repute,  and 
a  gentleman  of  undoubted  culture  and  bonhomie.  Though 
he  still  loved  his  Alma  Mater,  and  maintained  his 


6  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

nominal  connection  with  her,  he  was  an  ardent  Liberal, 
and  gave  the  best  powers  of  his  well-stored  mind  to  his 
country's  service.  A  "  young  member,"  as  the  phrase 
goes,  he  had  taken  high  position  in  the  House,  and  his 
learning  and  industry  had  been  recognized  by  the 
appointment  to  many  chairmanships,  while  his  careful 
and  intelligent  discussion  of  questions  relating  to  the 
higher  work  of  administration  was  rapidly  increasing 
his  influence  both  in  the  House  and  the  country. 

Tom  was  his  father's  especial  weakness.  He  was 
proud  of  the  boy's  fine  qualities,  and  he  knew  better 
than  Tom  dreamed  about  his  faults,  which  he  regarded 
as  venial,  and  which  he  said  "  Tom  would  manage 
in  time."  "  The  boy  is  his  mother's  son,"  he  would 
say,  "  full  of  nervous  energy  and  faith.  He  is  gener- 
ous, and  perhaps  extravagant,  but  look  at  what  tempta- 
tions he  has  in  the  Guards.  He  will  have  sown  his 
wild  oats  at  a  younger  age  than  most  boys ;  yet  he  has 
not  sown  them  very  thick,  if  I  know  him  truly.  I 
believe  he  has  kept  few  secrets  from  me.  Dear  me ! 
Tom  will  be  a  man  soon.  He  is  twenty-two,  if  he  is  a 
day." 

Tom,  on  the  other  hand,  was  passionately  fond  of  his 
father.  The  two  were  often,  so  to  speak,  confidential 
when  they  were  alone  together — but  when  the  world 
was  about  them,  they  were  men.  Did  they  dream  what 
labors  and  triumphs  each  would  yet  sustain  in  the 
other's  life  ? 

Lord  Bolton  was  heir  to  a  peer  of  the  realm.  His 
ancestors  were  with  "William  the  Conqueror — errone- 
ously so-called,  because  he  only  conquered  the  usurper, 
Harold — and  negotiated  terms  with  the  nation  whose 
laws  he  swore  to  maintain.  My  Lord  never  knew  what 


LORDS  AJ\D  LADIES.  f 

had  been  the  station  of  his  great  progenitor  under  the 
Norman  monarch.  It  was  enough  that  he  "  came  over," 
and,  for  the  rest,  he  might  have  been  prince  or  beggar. 
His  family  had  been  ennobled,  and,  on  one  side  or 
other,  had  served  England  bravely  in  all  her  great 
struggles  of  war  or  peace.  His  grandfather  had  been  a 
favorite  of  George  the  Fourth,  and  his  father  was  at  one 
time  Prime  Minister  of  England.  On  his  mother's  side 
had  descended  the  glories  of  Blenheim  in  that  direct 
family-line  which  for  nigh  two  hundred  years  has  ab- 
sorbed the  national  benefactions.  His  ample  estates 
testified  to  his  substantial  lineage,  and  he  was  to  inherit 
his  father's  boundless  wealth,  including  his  "  cattle  on 
a  thousand  hills."  What  need  my  Lord  care  for  wits, 
their  jokes  or  their  methods?  If  he  was  sometimes 
dull,  might  he  not  be  a  patron,  and  in  his  train  have  a 
retinue  of  punsters  and  poets  and  painters?  What 
could  be  denied  him,  this  great  Lord,  with  his  mighty 
name  and  his  vast  possessions  ?  True,  the  times  might 
change ;  they  were  changing.  One  could  submit  to 
competition  from  a  Rothschild,  though  the  finger-marks 
of  commerce  were  seen  on  his  doors.  A  Lord  Mayor 
might  be  forgiven  ducal  splendors,  for  he  rules  over 
millions  and  speaks  with  the  voice  of  the  law.  But 
Commerce  levels  all  things.  The  costermonger  of 
to-day  may  be  His  Grace  the  Duke  de  Chemin-de-fer  of 
the  near  decade  ;  even  now,  wealth  has  no  monopoly  of 
rank,  for  the  commonest  people  are  invested  with  it ; 
and  with  all  this  distribution  of  wealth,  titles  them- 
selves may  lose  prestige  in  England. 

"  They  must  be  a  strange  people  in  America,"  said 
my  Lord,  "  if  one  may  judge  from  the  Americans  I  have 
met  in  my  travels.  They  love  titles  there,  I  am  told, 


8  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

though  they  are  growing  to  be  debatable  blessings  at 
home.  One  might  do  worse  than  go  across.  I  am 
going  to  America,  Tom,"  said  my  Lord.  "Will  you 
come  ?  " 

Tom  did  not  suppress  any  involuntary  surprise  as  he 
answered  :  "  Thanks  !  That  would  be  jolly,  indeed  ;  but 
I  must  first  see  my  father,  and  will  you  bid  me  try  and 
persuade  him  to  join  us  ?  He  needs  rest." 

"  All  right,"  said  my  Lord,  as  if  he  had  been  a  rail- 
way guard,  and  not  the  titled  possessor  of  millions. 

That  night,  before  Tom  retired,  he  sought  his  father, 
and  pressed  him  to  be  one  of  Lord  Bolton's  party. 

"I  really  need  the  rest,  Tom,"  said  the  Professor, 
"  and  I  have  not  been  in  America  these  ten  years.  The 
pleasure  of  going  with  you,  my  boy,  would  be  an  addi- 
tional incentive." 

"  Thanks,  father,"  Tom  answered  gayly ;  "  Bolton  is 
of  the  salt  of  the  earth,  say  what  they  will  about  him. 
I  was  annoyed  by  an  ill-natured  remark  of  Fred  Cuth- 
bert  to-night,"  continued  Tom  ;  "  Bolton  will  fulfil  his 
mission  in  life,"  Fred  had  said.  "How's  that?"  I 
asked,  half  absently.  "  He  will  prove  that  talent  is  not 
hereditary,"  was  the  rejoinder. 

"  Fred  will  not  prove  that  it  is,"  said  the  professor, 
dryly,  "  if  he  pretend^  to  inherit  his  gifts  from  Sir  John 
Cuthbert." 

Tom  Conant  went  to  Brighton  to  spend  the  Sunday 
with  his  mother  and  some  friends.  They  had  just  re- 
turned from  church  where  a  great  New  York  preacher 
had  much  interested  and  a  little  disturbed  them. 

"  You  see,"  said  Tom,  "  the  theme  was  grand,  and  the 
discourse  was  full  of  noble  thoughts,  presented  with 
the  skill  of  a  master ;  but  there  was  a  vein  of  levity 


LORDS  AND  LADIES.  9 

here  and  there,  which  we  don't  look  for  in  the  pulpit 
One  felt  there  was  a  charm  which  one  ought  to  resist. 
Sometimes  I  wanted  to  cheer.  Do  you  remember  that 
story  of  the  old  woman  who  heard  the  Choral  Litany 
for  the  first  time,  and  who  said  it  was  '  sweet,  but  it  was 
an  awful  way  to  spend  the  Sabbath  ? ' ' 

"  Yes,"  said  Tom's  mother,  "  we  are  accustomed  to  a 
certain  solemnity  in  the  treatment  of  sacred  things. 
But  vivacity  gives  warmth  and  life,  and  the  preacher, 
no  doubt,  finds  great  wealth  of  illustration  in  the  most 
familiar  fields.  There  ought  to  be  a  via  media  between 
the  humdrum  and  the  sensational.  Worship  is  an  act 
of  adoration ;  it  is  emotional  as  well  as  reverent.  I  like 
Doctor  Elmwood,  and  have  invited  him  and  his  niece  to 
lunch  with  us.  The  young  lady  is  shy,  but  you  will 
find  the  Doctor  an  intelligent  and  interesting  man." 

"  Whew  ! "  thought  Tom,  "  An  American  girl !  "  But 
he  answered,  "  Yes,  mother,  I  am  sure  I  shall  be  de- 
lighted to  meet  him."  So  saying,  Tom  kissed  his 
mother,  and  retired  to  his  room. 

"  I  wonder  what  she  is  like,"  he  soliloquized,  "  this 
American  niece  of  an  American  parson ! "  And  striding 
up  and  down  his  room,  he  hummed  to  a  pensive  air  : — 

"  Or  soft  black  eyes,  or  melting  blue, 
Which  has  the  darling  of  the  two?" 

Tom  Conant  had  not  lost  the  freshness  of  his  boy- 
hood, though  he  had  come  to  man's  estate.  Without 
being  a  great  scholar  he  was  well  educated,  both  by 
study  and  travel.  He  had  taken  a  respectable  position 
both  at  school  and  college,  even  a  brilliant  one, 
wherever  hard  knocks  could  ba  dispensed  with,  and 
native  talent  pulled  him  through. 


10  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

His  fatter,  who  had  been  a  great  worker,  had  been 
willing  to  spare  the  son  the  drudgery  he  had  endured ; 
and  if  he  had  not  altogether  approved  Tom's  choice 
of  the  army,  he  had  seen  in  it  a  relief  from  the  unre- 
mitting strain  of  his  own  occupations.  "  Tom's  tastes 
do  not  lead  him  my  way,"  he  said,  "and  without  love  for 
the  work,  the  burden  of  it  would  be  intolerable."  And 
so  the  son  was  left  to  be  what  we  have  found  him,  an  ac- 
complished, generous,  impulsive  young  man  of  the  world. 

America  had  been  to  Tom  the  usual  terra  incognita  of 
Britons.  The  geography  of  the  New  World  he  had  been 
taught,  but  its  people  he  had  never  seen;  moreover, 
what  he  had  read  was  generally  inconsistent,  and  very 
often  uncomplimentary.  He  knew  they  were  fifty  mil- 
lions— a  multitudinous  people.  They  had  lately  emerg- 
ed from  a  great  war,  with  a  million  of  men  in  arms. 
But  the  Chinese  had  numbers,  and  the  society-journals 
were  discussing  the  points  of  resemblance  between  them 
and  his  cousins  across  the  sea. 

Notwithstanding  the  humors  of  the  critics,  he  re- 
membered that  the  people  of  this  mysterious  western 
land  were  but  an  offshoot  of  the  old  stock — Britons 
modified,  if  not  improved  ;  and  he  had  a  profound  re- 
gard for  their  history  and  their  achievements.  But,  at 
the  present  moment,  it  was  not  with  Tom  a  question  of 
vital  or  political  statistics.  He  would  look  into  graver 
questions  later.  If  the  truth  must  be  told,  Tom,  to- 
day, was  neither  natural  nor  characteristic.  But  we 
all  have  had  moods  we  could  not  explain,  and  our 
follies,  even  consciously  to  ourselves,  have  had  a  begin- 
ning. Had  the  new  preacher  so  impressed  him,  or  was 
he  surrendering  to  the  young  American  girl,  whom  he 
had  not  seen  ? 


LORDS  AND  LADIES.  H 

Tom's  thoughts  pursued  him  in  his  dreams.  He  dared 
not  acknowledge  to  himself  how  often  his  imagination 
had  woven  fascinating  visions,  which  might  be  no  longer 
myths,  now  that  this  little  stranger  had  come  across 
the  sea.  How  did  he  know  she  was  little  ?  His  mother 
had  said  she  was  shy ;  that  was  all  he  knew  about  her. 
If  she  was  shy,  she  ought  to  be  young.  And  was  she 
pretty  ?  Was  she  his  fate,  and  should  he  hate  her  ? 
She  could  not  be  rich,  but  he  did  not  care  for  that. 

He  awoke  and  shortly  after  rose,  exclaiming  to  him- 
self, "  What  a  fool  I  am !" 


CHAPTEB  III. 

BLOOD    IS   THICKER   THAN   WATER. 

"A  ROAST  of  beef  and  entremets"  comprised  what 
Mrs.  Conant  called  her  "  quiet  Sunday  dinner."  The 
Professor,  as  Mrs.  Conant  explained  to  Dr.  Elmwood, 
had  been  unwillingly  detained  in  London.  Tom  shared 
the  honors  with  his  mother ;  on  his  right  hand  sat  Miss 
Agnes  Winthrop,  of  Boston,  a  young  lady  of  seventeen 
summers,  who  was  passing  her  last  year  at  school  on 
the  Continent,  and  at  present  was  spending  her  vacation 
in  England  with  friends. 

There  was  nothing  very  different  from  other  young 
ladies  to  be  noted  in  Miss  Winthrop's  appearance.  She 
was  a  tall  and  graceful  blonde,  a  charming  girl,  with  a 
bright,  intelligent  face,  a  cheery  voice  and  winning  man- 
ners ;  and  her  large,  laughing  eyes,  fringed  by  long, 
dark  lashes,  and  a  smile  of  indescribable  sweetness  with 
which  she  welcomed  or  entertained  you,  denoted  qual- 
ities of  uncommon  gentleness,  while  in  other  respects 
you  were  impressed  as  if  in  the  presence  of  one  whose 
character  would  develop  unusual  strength. 

She  was  not  "shy,"  as  Mrs.  Conant  had  described 
her — or,  perhaps,  we  should  say  she  was  not  timid. 
By  nature  she  seemed  to  be  equal  to  great  things ; 
but,  at  the  first  meeting,  neither  Tom  nor  the  young 
lady  was  free  from  embarrassment. 

Are  these  young  people  thus  distrait  and  self-conscious 
because,  though  strangers,  they  have  dreamed  of  each 
12 


BLOOD  IS  THICKER  TITAN  WATER.  13 

other  ?  TVho  shall  fix  the  metes  and  bounds  of  common 
sense,  beyond  which  the  extravagance  of  romance  shall 
not  wander,  or  make  plain  the  mysteries  which  regulate 
the  dreams  of  young  and  inexperienced  hearts  ? 

Mrs.  Conant  was  an  English  gentlewoman,  and  seemed 
more  like  the  sister  than  the  mother  of  Tom,  who  was  her 
only  son.  She  had  followed  three  children,  a  son  and 
two  daughters,  to  the  grave.  Perhaps  this  experience 
had  cast  a  tinge  of  sadness  over  her  earnest  and  expres- 
sive face,  which  was  more  comely  than  beautiful,  but, 
when  lighted  by  the  glow  of  sympathy,  was  full  of  charm. 
There  are  those  whose  whole  character  is  expressed  by 
a  look  or  a  smile,  who  seem  to  invite  your  confidence  at 
first  sight,  and  promise  you  the  interest  and  friendship 
which  might  fitly  have  been  born  of  years.  You  see  the 
soul  in  the  eyes,  and  you  knoAV  its  gentleness  and  purity 
by  a  magnetic  intuition  which  you  can  feel  but  cannot 
explain.  You  wonder  how,  all  these  years,  you  have 
lived  without  knowing  these  people ;  and  life  seems 
warmer  and  richer  when  you  have  met  them.  Bound  by 
the  tenderest  ties,  they  have  room  in  their  hearts  for  a 
sympathy  which  is  universal.  If  one  is  wrong,  their 
very  greeting  is  a  protection ;  if  right,  their  simple  pres- 
ence is  an  encouragement.  They  are  environed  by  an 
atmosphere  of  unconscious  worth,  and  their  good  in- 
fluences work  quiet  results,  to  which  they  are  strangers. 

There  are  many  such  people,  though  they  do  not 
abound  in  the  world ;  but  good  Mrs.  Conant  was  one 
of  their  number,  and  people  said  Tom  was  his  mother's 
son.  His  little  sister  completed  the  family  circle,  but 
she  is  in  the  nursery  now,  listening  to  the  hoary  mys- 
teries of  Santa  Glaus  and  the  enchantment  of  Mother 
Goose's  melodies. 


14  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

At  table,  Dr.  Elmwood  was  beginning  to  lead  the  con- 
versation in  a  quiet  way.  He  was  the  rector  of  a  fash- 
ionable church  in  New  York,  the  metropolis  of  the 
Great  West.  The  Church  of  England  had  left  her 
eldest  daughter  to  the  occupancy  of  America.  There 
was  little  to  distinguish  the  mother  from  the  child. 
Both  had  nominally  preserved  an  austere  orthodoxy, 
which  the  members  of  each  had  modified  and  mollified 
in  practice.  The  Church  was  wise  enough  to  look  upon 
diversities  without  seeing  them,  and  broad  enough  to 
embrace  the  believers  of  all  degrees.  If  restless  spirits 
sometimes  invoked  controversy  and  challenged  declara- 
tions of  faith,  the  members  were  generally  willing  to 
leave  mysteries  to  the  spiritual  heads,  and  were  content, 
for  themselves,  with  seeking  the  wisdom  to  love  God 
supremely,  and  their  neighbors  as  themselves.  Dr. 
Elmwood  was  a  Broad  Churchman  and  a  devout  man. 
He  was  the  idol  of  his  people,  who  listened  to  him  with 
rapt  attention,  and  lavishly  put  money  in  his  purse. 
Perhaps,  after  the  weary  excitement  of  the  week,  there 
were  vivacious  passages  with  which  the  Doctor  some- 
times interlarded  his  discourses — there  was  a  tinge  of 
exaggeration  and  hyperbole,  an  imagery,  drawn  from 
familiar  things,  just  a  soupgon  of  quaint  humor,  or  even 
wit,  which,  though  it  had  disturbed  the  unaccustomed 
ear  of  Tom,  was  a  grateful  stimulant  to  the  Doctor's 
"Western  hearers. 

He  was  scholarly  and  logical ;  his  elocution  was 
faultless,  and  his  oratory  masterly.  Nobody  went  to 
sleep  when  he  preached.  If,  within  such  limits,  there 
was  scope  to  practise  two  styles  of  expression,  who 
should  say  when  the  manner  of  the  preacher,  or  the 
taste  of  the  hearer  was  at  fault?  If  you  have  no 


BLOOD  IS  THICKER   THAN  WATER.  15 

accepted  standard,  who  is  to  decide  between  Tom  and 
Dr.  Elm  wood's  people  ? 

"I  suppose  you  have  often  seen  the  pretty  town 
where  my  niece  is  at  school,"  said  the  Doctor,  ad- 
dressing Tom  for  the  first  time.  Tom  replied  that  ho 
had  not,  but  should  be  more  interested  in  seeing  it  now 
than  ever. 

Mrs.  Conant  remembered  sadly  her  last  visit  to 
Heidelberg.  Her  little  daughter  had  contracted  the 
cold  there,  which  finally  carried  her  off. 

Tom  ventured  to  ask  if  Miss  Winthrop  liked  her 
school,  and  was  answered  "yes,"  with  the  slightest 
foreign  accent. 

Mr.  Holt,  who  is  a  stranger  to  us,  as  yet,  though  one 
of  Mrs.  Conant's  guests,  attacked  the  system  of  female 
education  altogether. 

Tom  curtly  disposed  of  the  whole  subject  in  a  sin- 
gle word,  whereat  Mr.  Holt  looked  flushed  and  mor- 
tified. 

Dr.  Elmwood  admitted  its  importance,  and  kind  Mrs. 
Conant  felt  sure  that  Mr.  Holt  was  right,  for  the  whole 
system  required  revision. 

This  smoothed  Mr.  Holt's  ruffled  feathers,  and,  some- 
what to  the  disgust  of  Tom,  set  him  on  his  legs  again. 

Mr.  Holt  was  inveterate,  if  one  may  apply  that  word 
to  a  good  talker.  The  famous  Doctor  was  his  vis-a-vis 
and  he  wanted  to  bring  him  out. 

"  Capt.  Conant  thinks,  perhaps,  one  should  not  intro- 
duce such  a  subject  in  the  presence  of  so  distinguished 
a  devotee,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  smiling  grimly. 

"If  you  refer  to  me,"  said  the  young  lady,  "don't 
mind  me  at  all ;  I  am  neither  the  adjective  nor  the  noun 
you  have  mentioned,  sir." 


16  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

Tom  winced,  but  was  silent,  and  after  a  pause,  Dr. 
Elinwood  said : 

"Without  regard  to  any  system,  I  have  serious 
doubts  as  to  the  propriety  of  educating  young  Ameri- 
cans in  Europe  at  all.  Of  course,  I  do  not  refer  to 
the  higher  work  of  the  universities." 

"Not  to  go  further,  sir,"  said  Tom,  "such  ideas 
would  have  deprived  us  of  a  great  pleasure  to-day. 
Miss  Winthrop  would  not  have  been  spending  her  Con- 
tinental vacation  in  England,  and  Dr.  Elm  wood  would 
not  have  been  visiting  us  with  his  niece.  Seriously, 
however,  if  no  scholastic  advantages  are  thus  ac- 
quired, are  not  such  studies  pursued  with  the  happy 
result  of  making  the  student  a  cosmopolitan  ?  " 

"That's  what  I  object  to,"  said  the  Doctor;  "the 
schools  may  be  more  efficient,  and  pupils  may  get  on 
faster  when  away  from  home,  but  our  schools  are  im- 
proving rapidly,  and  one  of  our  boys  educated  here,  at 
Kugby  or  Harrow,  or  at  any  public  school  in  England, 
may  become  denationalized  by  going  abroad  for  his 
education.  He  will  be  trained  with  a  class  of  boys,  who 
belong  to  an  order  of  society  unknown  in  his  own  coun- 
try. He  goes  home  unsettled,  unfitted,  perhaps,  for 
the  pursuits  which  fortune  has  assigned  him.  No 
doubt,  an  American  boy  may  be  trained  at  school  with 
the  young  bloods  of  this  aristocratic  land,  and  go  home 
satisfied  to  his  yard-stick  and  his  counting  room,  but  for 
every  one  such  there  will  be  another  to  sigh  for  the  blue 
blood  and  heraldic  trappings  of  his  school  dreams." 

"  Dear  me,  uncle,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  "  do  you  not 
think  they  would  be  improved  by  the  superior  associa- 
tions that  would  surround  them  ?  " 

"Ah ! "  said  Dr.  Elmwood,  "I  should  think  so." 


BLOOD  IS  THICKER   THAN  WATER.  17 

"  I  should  think  so  too,"  she  continued,  "  and  they 
might  acquire  a  polish  and  refinement  to  last  them  all 
their  days." 

"  And  learn  to  discount  the  polish  and  refinement  of 
their  homes  !  "  broke  in  the  Doctor. 

"  I  quite  seize  your  point,  Doctor,"  said  Tom,  "  but  if 
you  will  pardon  me,  I  think  it  more  plausible  than  ex- 
act. Take  English  boys ;  Lords  and  Commoners  are 
educated  in  the  same  class.  Yet,  in  the  great  world, 
the  middle  classes  never  bow  down  before  nobility." 

"You  are  young,  Tom,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  "and  may 
change  your  views  as  you  extend  your  observation." 

"  Besides,"  added  Dr.  Elmwood,  "  here  both  classes 
are  English,  and  there  is  no  question  of  denationaliza- 
tion. But  a  young  American  who  apes  the  English 
upper  classes have  you  seen  a  dude  ?" 

"  I  am  not  quite  sure,"  said  Tom, "  but  I  have  seen  what 
the  comic  papers  say  about  him.  He  is  to  be  pitied." 

"  He  is  the  ideal  American  dandy  at  home,"  said  Dr. 
Elmwood,  "  striving  to  imitate  English  high-life." 

"  But  he  is  not  the  offspring  of  English  schools,"  said 
Miss  Winthrop,  with  animation. 

"  I  do  not  know,"  replied  Dr.  Elmwood,  "  but  I  would 
not  lead  the  boys  into  temptation." 

"There  is  another  difference  between  English  and 
American  boys,"  said  Mr.  Holt,  "  apropos  of  the  middle 
classes  not  bowing  the  knee  to  the  nobles,  if  they  do 
not,  indeed.  An  English  boy  is  satisfied  to  hold  the  posi- 
tion his  father  held  before  him.  He  neither  expects 
nor  is  ambitious,  to  surpass  him.  All  young  Americans, 
on  the  contrary,  hope  to  become  President  some  day  in 
their  own  country,  and  many  of  them  would  like  to 
become  Dukes  and  Lords  over  here.  There  is  a  great 

2 


18  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

deal  to  be  proud  of,  though  much  to  improve,  in  our 
schools.  But  I  doubt  whether  all  the  benefits  Tom 
Brown  derived  from  his  school-days  would  be  compen- 
sation to  an  American  boy  for  that  love  of  his  country, 
and  that  pride  in  her  development,  which  inhere  in 
every  American  at  home.  Just  now,  after  many  years 
of  experience,  and  after  all  nations,  including  England, 
have  come  to  acknowledge  that  the  world  is  better  for 
what  the  thirteen  colonies  did,  you  don't  want  to  build 
up  a  sickly  class  of  tuft-hunters  in  America,  who,  for 
the  sake  of  social  chances,  would  sigh  for  the  old  days 
of  dependence." 

As  the  ladies  withdrew,  Mrs.  Conant  politely  regretted 
that  she  should  lose  the  pleasure  of  listening  further  to 
the  conversation ;  and  we  take  credit  for  having  reported 
it,  or  it  might  have  been  lost  to  the  world. 

"  My  uncle  and  I  rarely  disagree  ;  perhaps  I  ought  to 
make  it  a  duty  that  we  should  never  do  so,"  said  Miss 
TVinthrop,  in  the  drawing-room,  to  the  elder  lady ;  "  he 
is  so  good  and  wise  that  I  always  feel  condemned  if  I 
have  contradicted  him.  And,  indeed,  I  love  my  own 
country  and  am  proud  of  my  own  people ;  but  I  would 
willingly  see  more  of  the  grace  and  culture  I  see  here 
engrafted  upon  our  popular  manners.  We  have  done  a 
great  deal  in  a  few  years,  and,  in  our  hurry  to  reach 
results,  we  are  sometimes  unmindful  of  the  forms  which 
might  add  to  their  grace,  without  impairing  their  sub- 
stance. Speaking  of  schools,  I  know  a  dozen  well- 
educated  boys  and  girls  who  constantly  speak,  though 
they  would  never  write,  ungrammatically.  And  this 
remark  applies  to  many  of  our  best  people  in  America. 
From  what  I  have  seen,  I  should  think  this  seldom  hap- 
pens in  England." 


BLOOD  IS  THICKER  THAN  WATER.  19 

"  I  have  observed  something  of  the  kind,  but  it  is  a 
venial  sin,"  said  Mrs.  Conant,  kindly;  "a  mere  educa- 
tion could  not  correct  it.  Theoretically,  society  is  on  a 
common  level  in  America,  Our  manner  of  speech  is  the 
result  of  our  associations.  We  speak  a  language  as  we 
are  accustomed  to  hear  it  spoken.  The  ear  is  the  edu- 
cator. Speech  is  extemporaneous  and  leaves  us  no 
time  to  apply  grammatical  rules.  The  fault  that  dis- 
turbs you  must  be  common  to  all  new  countries.  No 
doubt  the  prevalence  of  education  in  America  is  marvel- 
lous ;  and  if  there  is  the  need,  there  are  also  the  facili- 
ties for  improvement.  But  I  see  the  gentlemen  are  com- 
ing, and  we  must  take  them  for  a  stroll  in  the  garden." 

Tom  was  devoted  to  Mr.  Holt,  as  if  he  wanted  to 
make  amends  for  something,  and  that  gentleman  re- 
ceived his  attentions  with  the  lofty  grace  of  one  who  had 
not  been  offended. 

Dr.  Elmwood  delighted  Mrs.  Conant  with  his  knowl- 
edge of  flowers,  and  his  ready  interpretation  of  their 
delicate  beauties.  Miss  Winthrop,  who  had  wandered 
/rom  the  others,  and  stood  alone,  regarded  with 
rapt  and  absent  gaze  the  placid  waters  beyond.  Tom 
had  not  been  unobservant,  and  rather  timidly  joined  her. 

"  Miss  Winthrop !  "  She  started.  "  Oh,  I  was  dream- 
ing," she  said,  "  and  I  had  travelled  far  over  the  waters." 

"  And  do  you  so  long  for  distant  scenes  ?  "  was  Tom's 
answer. 

"  Yes,  and  no.  I  always  long  for  home,  though  I 
do  not  at  present  wish  to  go  there." 

"  I  would  like  to  see  your  home,"  said  Tom,  simply. 
"  I  hope  before  long  to  see  America." 

"  Oh!  I  hope  you  will  visit  my  country,  and  I  wish 
I  could  be  there  to  greet  you." 


20  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  It  would  not  seem  to  me  like  your  home  and  you 
not  there,"  rejoined  Tom. 

*'  But  you  would  have  a  warm  welcome  from  those 
who  love  me,  and  who  will  know  before  then  that  you 
and  yours  have  been  kind  to  me." 

"  They  ought  to  love  you.  Tell  me  about  them," 
said  Tom,  eagerly. 

"  Not  now ;  I  must  know  better  how  you  like  Ameri- 
cans first.  I  am  full  of  my  countrymen's  sensitiveness 
about  English  opinions.  But,  perhaps,  you  don't  feel 
much  interest,  yet " 

"  Yes,  more  than  I  should  dare  tell  you." 

"  Isn't  it  curious,"  she  continued,  interrupting  him, 
"  how  we  wince  under  the  sarcasms  of  an  English  book, 
magazine,  or  newspaper  article  ?  And  we  have  had 
many  such  inflictions  to  bear.  My  Lord  goes  across, 
and  then  he  writes  a  book  about  what  he  saw  when  he 
was  there.  It  is  a  funny  book,  written  from  strange 
points  of  observation.  It  is  not  a  friendly  book,  though 
it  says  kind  things ;  but  it  displays  a  hauteur  which 
chills,  and  assumes  a  superiority  which  affronts  us. 
Have  you  never  seen  such  works  ?  " 

"Yes,"  said  Tom,  "but  they  are  not  always  un- 
friendly." 

"  No,  they  are  patronizing,"  she  continued.  "  I  want 
you  to  read  these  books  and  see  if  you  can  verify  their 
statements  in  your  travels.  I  suppose  I  am  too  young 
to  understand  such  things,  but  I  am  always  wondering 
why  Englishmen  are  unjust  to  us." 

Tom  made  a  deprecatory  shrug,  and  was  about  to 
speak,  but  Miss  Winthrop  added,  "I  mean  in  their 
books,  you  know." 

"Why,"  said  Tom,  in  a  conciliatory  tone, "  I  hope  you 


BLOOD  18  THICKER  THAN  WATER.  21 

exaggerate,  Miss  Winthrop.  I  suppose  it  may  be  be- 
cause we  are  jealous  of  your  wonderful  growth,  and  are 
a  little  on  the  lookout  for  our  laurels ;  but,  I  am  sure 
there  is  not  much  public  sentiment  to  justify  them,  if 
they  are  published." 

"  Such  books  are  written  to  sell,"  was  the  quiet  re- 
ply, and  the  subject  was  dropped  for  lighter  topics. 

Tea  was  served  in  the  arbor,  but  Tom  did  not  leave 
the  young  lady  to  Mr.  Holt,  or  to  anybody  else ;  and 
later  on,  when  the  two  separated,  each  felt  that  the 
other  was  a  friend,  without  having  been  told  so.  Will 
the  feeling  grow  and  ripen  as  years  roll  on  ?  or  will 
their  paths  diverge  till  it  fades  into  a  memory  ? 

How  little  we  know  of  the  mysteries  of  life,  except  as, 
one  by  one,  they  are  unfolded  to  us ! 

As  Mrs.  Conant's  guests  were  taking  their  leave,  Mr. 
Holt  lingered,  hat  in  hand,  for  a  last  word  with  his 
hostess. 

"  It  was  very  good  of  you  to  take  so  much  trouble, 
Kobert,"  she  said  ;  "  but  your  love  of  charity  and  your 
kind  action  will  be  their  own  reward." 

"  Don't  give  me  too  much  credit,  Aunt,"  he  answered, 
sadly.  "  If  I  have  rendered  you  a  little  service,  in  aiding 
your  good  work,  leave  me  to  the  lesson  it  teaches, 
of  improving  neglected  opportunities  of  doing  good. 
Oh,  how  slow  I  was  in  the  work,  and  how  your  mis- 
sion and  your  instructions  have  quickened  me  in  it. 
Men  speak  truly  of  charity  as  a  virtue,  and  of  the 
Golden  Kule,  as  if  some  sacrifice  were  entailed  in  the 
observance  of  it.  What  human  pleasure  can  equal 
that  of  having  wiped  a  tear  and  assuaged  a  grief? 
What  can  Dives  buy  with  all  his  wealth,  that  may  equal 
the  satisfaction  of  him  who  has  ministered  according  to 


22  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

his  means  to  the  wants  of  the  poor  ?  What  music  can 
equal  in  harmony  the  widow's  thanks  for  the  food  which 
has  fed  her  starvelings  ?  What  reward  of  any  kind 
open  to  human  effort,  can  compare  with  the  conscious- 
ness of  good  deeds,  well  done,  which  have  removed  the 
disabilities  and  aroused  the  gratitude  of  the  unfortu- 
nate ?  Human  gratitude !  The  evidence  of  acts  of 
kindness,  great  and  small — what  a  witness  that  will  be 
for  us,  in  the  day  when  we  shall  need  a  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses ! " 

"  You  are  magnifying  a  trifle,  Eobert,"  said  the  lady, 
modestly. 

"  If  you  had  heard  the  messages  I  brought  you,  it 
would  not  have  seemed  a  trifle  !  \fdt  that  it  was  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive,  and  I  almost  envied  you. 
It  may  seem  a  trifle  to  you,  an  incident  in  your  life 
work;  but  to  me  it  was  an  experience,  and  I  shall 
cherish  it.  And  I  hope,  in  some  small  way,  to  cultivate 
the  spirit  of  your  act.  What  men  we  might  become 
with  such  angels  of  mercy  to  lead  us  !"  he  continued, 
musingly.  "  What  misery  and  sin  we  might  alleviate  or 
even  turn  to  joy  !  " 

"  Thank  God,"  she  said,  "  if  your  little  plan  has  really 
relieved  misery  and  made  the  stricken  heart  light  again. 
We  must  not  lose  sight  of  these  poor  people.  It  is  your 
work  more  than  mine.  But  there  is  more  to  do.  That 
woman  is  not  the  mother  of  the  little  girl,  I  think,  and 
when  they  are  all  well  again,  we  shall  have  a  mystery 
to  unravel." 

"You  will  command  me  when  you  want  me,"  said 
Robert  Holt.  "  I  can  wear  Heaven's  livery  in  your  ser- 
vice, Mrs.  Conant,  and  never  tire  of  the  work  you  may 
set  me  to  do." 


BLOOD  18  THICKER   THAN  WATER.  23 

"  Thank  you,"  she  answered,  softly,  "  I  shall  see  them 
in  London  soon.  In  the  meantime  our  experience  must 
be  secret  till  we  know  more." 

That  night,  in  his  lodgings,  Robert  Holt  wondered 
that  the  appearance  of  these  strange  people  had  not 
suggested  more  even  to  him.  "  But  the  man  and  woman 
were  sick  with  fever,"  he  said.  "  There  was  little  to 
denote  the  condition  of  life  to  which  they  belonged ; 
and  I  only  noticed  the  child's  wonderful  eyes,  and 
thought  of  the  quickest  means  to  rescue  her  from 
danger.  She  is  safe  with  the  old  nurse  at  the  hospital. 
She  is  too  young  to  tell  her  story,  if  she  has  one,  but 
if  there  is  a  mystery  it  may  transpire.  What  a  won- 
derful woman  is  Mrs.  Conant,  with  all  her  social  and 
domestic  cares,  to  find  time  for  so  much  love  and  good- 
will for  strangers!  I  wish  Tom  knew  more  of  his 
mother's  work.  He  might  aid  her,  and  he  is  equal  to 
great  things.  But  she  is  afraid  to  cloud  his  young 
spirit  with  dark  pictures,  and  she  trusts  me.  Well,  I 
am  proud  of  the  mother's  confidence,  and,  if  I  can  be 
worthy  of  it,  I  am  sure  to  be  led  into  noble  work." 

Robert  Holt  was  the  son  of  Scotch  parents,  and  was 
related  to  Mrs.  Conant  on  his  mother's  side.  He  had 
won  high  honors  at  Edinburgh,  and  had  left  the  univer- 
sity with  the  reputation  of  being  a  clever  polemic  and  a 
democrat.  Everybody  liked  him,  though  everybody 
would  not  have  copied  his  ways.  He  was  brusque  and 
aggressive  in  dispute,  and  toward  his  equals  he  was 
exacting;  but  toward  his  inferiors,  and  those  who 
would  need  his  aid,  he  was  generous  to  a  fault :  he  had 
the  soul  of  a  prince  and  the  heart  of  a  woman.  He  was, 
moreover,  a  man  of  wealth  and  leisure ;  he  held  political 
opinions  which  were  considered  advanced,  and  he  was 


24  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

too  straightforward  and  outspoken  to  tolerate  the  diplo- 
mat or  the  temporizer.  He  was  earnest  and  sincere 
before  all  things. 

Such  a  character  might  have  fallen  little  short  of 
petulance  ;  and  he  was  exacting  at  times,  but  he  was  too 
full  of  loving  kindness  to  persist  unduly  in  any  course 
that  might  wound  the  feelings  of  others. 

He  has  fallen  asleep  as  we  have  discussed  him. 

Bobert  Holt,  idealist  and  disputant,  au  revoir. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

THE  PLOT  THICKENS. 

A  FEW  afternoons  later,  Tom  attended  a  reception  at 
Lady  D.'s  at  Bloomington  House,  and  found  her  Lady- 
ship exceedingly  gracious. 

"Here  is  Col.  Lyons,  Mr.  Conant,"  she  said,  "who 
tells  me  that  you  spent  Sunday  at  Brighton  with  your 
good  mother,  who  ought  to  be  here.  The  Professor  has 
just  left  me,  and  I  have  some  American  friends  whom 
you  must  meet.  Oh !  here  they  are." 

Tom  greeted  Dr.  Elmwood  and  Miss  "Winthrop ;  he 
had  not  met  the  young  lady  since  Sunday,  and,  as 
if  by  common  consent,  they  selfishly  strolled  away 
together. 

"I  was  afraid  I  should  lose  you,"  said  Tom,  "I 
wanted  to  see  you  so  much." 

"Then  I  suppose  you  have  something  to  tell  me," 
was  the  rejoinder ;  "  so  many  things  may  have  hap- 
pened since  we  met." 

"  No,  I  did  not  want  to  see  you  on  business,"  was  the 
laughing  response.  "  But  I  have  volunteered  to  guard 
you  from  the  crush  here.  Will  you  permit  me  ?  " 

"  If  it  please  you,"  answered  the  young  lady,  seeming 
at  a  loss  for  words. 

Tom  observed  her  embarrassed  manner,  and  said, 
"  You  see  I  may  be  my  own  master  for  a  few  moments 
only.  Lord  Lester,  the  Governor-General  of  Canada,  is 
here,  and  my  father  has  set  his  heart  on  my  paying  my 


28  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

humble  respects  to  him ;  but  if  I  have  to  leave  you,  I 
hope  I  may  be  able  to  find  you  again." 

"  I  see  Mr.  Marshall,  our  minister,  and  his  daughters 
by  the  alcove  yonder,"  observed  Miss  Winthrop  ;  "  let 
us  join  them." 

Tom  gave  a  reluctant  assent,  but  he  did  not  hurry 
forward,  and,  indeed,  for  the  moment,  Miss  Y/inthrop 
did  not  press  him  to  do  so.  Their  conversation  flowed 
freely  enough  now ;  but,  need  we  relate,  it  interested 
them  more  than  it  would  have  done  other  people.  • 

Later  in  the  evening,  several  gentlemen  were  con- 
versing together,  and  among  them  were  Lord  Lester  and 
Mr.  Marshall.  The  Professor,  with  Tom,  joined  them. 

"Tom  tells  me  you  are  coming  to  America,"  said 
Lord  Lester,  addressing  the  Professor.  "I  shall  re- 
turn within  the  month  delighted,  if  I  may  welcome  you 
to  Canada." 

"  Our  trip  is  as  yet  uncertain,"  said  Dr.  Conaut, 
"  and,  though  we  shall  not  exactly  be  the  guests,  we  are 
to  be  the  companions  of  Lord  Bolton,  who  goes  to  New 
York.  I  do  not  think  it  has  been  arranged  to  include 
Canada  in  our  route,  though  I  should  like  it  much,  if 
that  is  possible." 

"  Ah,  that  won't  do,"  said  his  Lordship  ;  "  England 
can't  afford  to  send  out  her  best  men  for  journeys  of  ob- 
servation through  America,  which  do  not  even  include 
her  own  possessions.  Canada  has  the  most  convenient 
steamboat  and  railroad  services,  and  you  are  alto- 
gether without  the  excuses  which  did  duty  in  former 
years  for  neglecting  us." 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  neglect,"  interposed  Tom. 

"  We  are  so  sure  of  Canadian  loyalty,"  remarked  Mr. 
Holt,  with  a  laugh. 


THE  PLOT  THICKENS.  27 

"Yet,  there  was  a  good  deal  said  about  a  separation 
of  the  colonies  a  few  years  ago,"  Mr.  Marshall  observed, 
somewhat  mischievously. 

"  More  on  this  side  than  in  Canada,"  rejoined  the 
Professor,  "  but  Canadian  independence  was  boldly  and 
ably  discussed,  and  found  many  sympathizers,  even 
there." 

"  Oh,  that  was  before  the  "Washington  Treaty,"  said 
Mr.  Holt,  "  and  while  the  Alabama  claims  were  pend- 
ing. There  was  a  dangerous  controversy  between  ua 
and  the  States.  At  that  time  the  peace  which  ruled 
was  not  likely  to  be  lasting.  A  feeling  prevailed 
largely  in  England  that  our  North  American  possessions 
were  not  worth  fighting  for.  The  Irish  Fenians  hovered 
all  along  the  Canadian  border,  and  the  question  was 
asked  in  Canada  with  some  trepidation,  Can  the  Empire 
defend  us  ?  It  was  added,  If  England  wants  us  to  go 
we  are  ready." 

"  It  was  a  very  sickly  feeling  in  Canada,"  said  Lord 
Lester. 

"  At  least,  one  Governor-General  commended  it,"  re- 
marked Mr.  Holt,  significantly. 

"But  the  Washington  Treaty  changed  all  that  in 
both  countries,"  said  the  Professor.  "  That  was  a  great 
experiment,  the  resort  to  arbitration  instead  of  to  battle  ; 
to  reason  instead  of  to  the  blind  rage  of  war  and  car- 
nage. If  the  controversies,  thus  happily  settled,  had 
been  allowed  to  drift,  they  would  have  culminated  in 
war,  and  the  two  nations  might  have  reduced  each 
other  to  a  third  rate  power." 

"  We  had  a  good  deal  to  swallow,"  said  Lord  Lester. 

"There  were  concessions  on  both  sides,"  observed 
Mr.  Marshall 


28  PROFESSOR   CONAXT. 

"  And  the  best  evidence  that,  on  the  whole,  the  set- 
tlement was  a  wise  one,  is  to  bo  found  in  the  concilia- 
tory and  satisfied  mood,  in  which  we  discuss  the 
whole  subject  to-day,"  interjected  Dr.  Elmwood,  with 
spirit. 

"All  this  history  was  made  a  little  before  your  time, 
Tom,"  said  Lord  Lester,  with  good  humor. 

"I  hope  its  good  consequences  may  be  lasting,"  re- 
joined Tom.  "  The  thought  of  going  to  America  incites 
me  to  become  familiar  with  these  topics." 

"My  dear  Tom,"  urged  Col.  Lyons,  "begin  your 
work,  by  taking  your  first  lesson,  which  so  few  English- 
men have  learned,  that  going  to  Canada  is  a  voyage  to 
America,  as  well  as  going  to  New  York.  Canada  is  a 
fine  country,  with  five  millions  of  hardy  and  enterpris- 
ing people,  and  after  the  States,  is  a  land  of  magnificent 
promise.  You  should  act  upon  the  hint  of  Lord  Les- 
ter, and  visit  it.  No  loyal  Englishman  having  done  so 
once  will  ever  be  disposed  to  throw  the  country  off." 

"And  let  me  add,"  said  Mr.  Marshall,  "  that  whether 
as  a  dependency  of  yours,  or  as  an  independent  state, 
my  countrymen  will  always  rejoice  in  her  progress  to- 
wards wealth  and  power.  She  has  a  mission  of  freedom 
to  fulfill  by  solving  in  her  own  way,  and  on  American  soil, 
the  problem  of  British  Parliamentary  government." 

"When  Tom  joined  the  ladies,  he  was  full  of  funny 
conceits  as  to  the  dangers  he  had  escaped  while  among 
the  politicians ;  but  Lady  D.  told  him  he  was  only  try- 
ing his  'prentice  hand,  and  Miss  Winthrop  declared  he 
had  been  so  absorbed  that  she  had  found  it  impossible 
to  attract  his  attention.  Tom  denied,  however,  having 
any  political  ambition,  and  in  the  best  of  spirits  he  took 
his  leave. 


THE  PLOT  THICKENS.  29 

We  will  not  weary  the  reader  with  details  of  the  ad- 
venture, which  for  the  moment  rescued  from  the  jaws 
of  death  a  man,  a  woman,  and  a  child,  and  thus  gratified 
the  kindliness  of  Mrs.  Conant,  and  whetted  the  appetite 
of  Robert  Holt  for  good  works.  Mrs.  Conant,  on  her 
return  from  Brighton,  found  these  people,  of  whom  we 
have  already  spoken,  at  a  private  hospital,  where  they 
were  supported  by  the  beneficence  of  Holt.  The  man 
was  deadly  ill  of  fever ;  the  woman,  though  stricken, 
was  still  able  to  aid  in  nursing  him,  and  the  child  had 
been  removed  to  a  place  of  safety. 

"  The  fever  is  malignant,"  the  Doctor  had  said  to 
Mrs.  Conant;  "you  must  not  remain  here  nor  come 
again,  and  the  woman  herself  must  be  removed.  The 
man  is  well  cared  for,  and  the  presence  of  neither  of 
you  will  do  him  good.  He  is  quite  unconscious." 

The  woman  was  inconsolable,  but  the  Doctor's  orders 
were  obeyed.  "  Oh,"  she  said,  "  it  is  a  punishment  for 
our  sin."  And  she  moaned  like  one  in  deep  suffering. 
"  You  angel ! "  she  would  say  to  Mrs.  Conant,  "  Why 
have  you  sheltered  a  wretch  like  me  ?  "  And  then  she 
would  give  herself  up  to  sobs  and  lamentations.  "  He 
did  it,"  she  moaned  with  a  convulsive  shudder ;  "  it  was 
not  in  my  heart  to  wrong  the  child.  Pauvre  enfant,  I 
will  tell  the  good  lady  before  I  die."  She  would  con- 
tinue her  ravings  and  say,  "  Hush,  I  will  not  speak ! 
he  will  hang  if  I  betray  him.  He  is  so  sick  perhaps  ho 
will  die,  and  then God  have  mercy !  " 

Mrs.  Conant  went  to  the  parlor  and  saw  the  child — a 
sweet  little  girl  of  two  years,  who  could  not  speak  nor 
give  any  sign  to  aid  in  her  identification.  It  had 
escaped  the  plague,  it  had  been  dressed  in  neat  clothes, 
and  was  beautiful.  Such  eyes !  though  an  infant's, 


30  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

full  of  sweetness  and  expression.  The  child  clung  to 
Mrs.  Conant  as  if  it  had  known  her. 

"  The  child  has  been  wronged,"  said  the  nurse.  "  Do 
you  think  she  belongs  to  those  people  ?" 

"Hush,"  said  Mrs.  Conant,  "we  must  not  say  such 

4/ 

things.  But  she  is  lovely,"  she  added,  "  and  we  will 
try  to  protect  her." 

"  It  may  be  a  mere  superstition,"  said  the  nurse,  "  but 
I  think  the  child  inherits  those  eyes  from  her  mother, 
who  must  have  been  a  beautiful  woman." 

"  You  are  silly,"  said  Mrs.  Conant,  musingly,  and  she 
went  back  to  the  woman,  who  still  talked  and  wandered. 

"  Will  he  die  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  hope  not,"  was  the  gentle  response. 

"Ah,  I  knew  it,"  continued  the  woman,  "  our  path  led 
to  this  in  my  dream.  He  was  with  me,  but  he  had 
horns  and  a  cloven  foot,  and  he  scoffed  at  my  doubts 
and  scruples.  He  said  there  was  no  rule  of  right  and 
wrong  for  such  as  we,  and  that  we  should  follow  our 
inclinations  and  desires.  That  fearful  night !  The 
heavens  were  overcast  with  blackness.  The  lightnings 
blazed  anon,  and  peal  after  peal  the  thunder  rolled 
over  the  mountains.  We  climbed  the  crags,  and  were 
pricked  by  the  thorns  and  terrified  by  the  howling  of 
the  wild  beasts.  It  was  a  dreadful  dream.  But  we 
reached  the  summit,  and  beheld  the  deep  canon  below, 
livid  with  heat  and  alive  with  groans,  and  yawning  to 
receive  us.  The  wages  of  sin  is  death,"  she  continued, 
after  a  silence.  "  I  was  taught  but  did  not  heed  that. 
Do  I  dream  now  ?  Do  I  rave  ?  "  she  added,  fixing  her 
large  dark  eyes  on  Mrs.  Conant,  who  stood,  tearful,  by 
her  side  ;  "  my  heart  is  heavy,  but  my  mind  is  clear. 
Before  it  may  be  too  late  I  must  tell  you,  not  the  story 


THE  PLOT  THICKENS.  31 

of  my  life,  which  must  be  buried  in  shame,  but  the 
story  of  another  life  which  mine  has  clouded.  I  did 
not  mean  it  all,"  she  said,  sobbing  hysterically ;  and 
after  a  pause,  " no,  no,  not  now!  why  do  you  press  me? 
His  eyes  are  upon  me.  He  stands  in  the  door.  Oh ! 
send  him  away.  How  he  frightens  me !  Not  now,"  she 
repeated,  "  but  I  will  tell  you  all  to-morrow." 

With  a  few  soothing  words,  Mrs.  Conant  took  her 
leave,  wearied  and  disappointed.  She  surmised  that 
the  proffered  confidence  related  to  the  child,  and  she 
was  not  sure  in  what  state  the  woman  might  be  on  the 
morrow.  There  were  things  to  be  done,  but  she  knew 
Mr.  Holt  would  attend  to  them.  In  the  meantime, 
she  would  see  the  chaplain  herself  and  then  return  to 
her  home. 

Mrs.  Conant  was  reticent,  and  the  Professor  was  too 
busy  to  be  made  the  confidant  of  her  charitable  labors ; 
but  he  interposed  no  obstacles,  if  he  afforded  her  little 
aid.  He  was,  nevertheless,  proud  to  have  given  her  a 
well-filled  purse,  and  gratified  at  the  fact  that  she  went 
about  doing  good. 

That  night  there  came  a  note  from  the  chaplain  to 
say  that  the  child  was  well,  the  woman  delirious,  and 
the  man  past  all  hope. 

"  How  unfortunate,"  thought  Mrs.  Conant,  "  should 
the  woman  die  without  telling  the  story  of  the  child !  I 
felt  sure  from  the  first,  of  what  I  have  never  dared  to 
say,  that  both  the  man  and  the  woman  are  adventurers, 
and  that  the  child  has  been  spirited  away  from  respecta- 
ble parents.  The  woman's  ravings  suggest  as  much,  and 
perhaps  even  other  and  darker  crimes.  Who  can  tell 
whence  they  have  come  ?  If  they  die  without  giving  a 
sign,  what  means  would  be  left  of  identification  ?  Oh, 


32  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

what  havoc  vice  makes  with  happiness !  Somewhere 
in  the  wide  world  there  are  a  frantic  mother  and 
a  broken  household  mourning  for  this  little  innocent ; 
and,  perhaps,  even  the  wrong-doers  are  the  greatest 
sufferers,  while  sinking  under  their  load  of  infamy  and 
self-reproach  into  a  miserable  grave." 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   AMERICAN    COUSIN   DAZZLES  MY  LORD. 

LORD  BOLTON  had  just  returned  after  a  sojourn  of  two 
months  in  Paris.  He  had  telegraphed  a  few  friends  to 
meet  him  that  night  in  his  rooms,  in  Piccadilly,  and 
among  them  were  Tom  Conant  and  Robert  Holt.  His 
Lordship  loved  Tom's  sprightly  good  nature  and  intel- 
ligence, and  he  admired  Robert's  varied  accomplish- 
ments ;  while  that  gentleman's  advanced  views,  and 
his  readiness  to  maintain  them,  made  him  always  an 
object  of  interest  to  the  eccentric  nobleman.  His 
rooms  were  lighted  by  electric  jets,  the  glare  of  which 
was  softened  by  the  fantastic  ornaments  of  various  and 
unique  designs  which  served  as  lamps  and  decorations. 
Everything  bespoke  luxurious  comfort  and  refinement. 

A  number  of  gentlemen  were  assembled,  and  as  Tom 
entered,  ho  found  Lord  Bolton  in  earnest  conversation 
with  Holt  and  Fred  Cuthbert. 

"I  was  saying  to  his  Lordship,"  said  Fred,  with  a 
drawl,  "  that  he  must  have  wasted  his  time  in  Paris. 
To  have  left  London,  in  the  height  of  the  season  for 
those  frog-eating  Frenchmen,  was  bad  enough,  but  he 
has  learned  nothing — he  can't  tell  us  the  name  of  the 
reigning  falle,  or  recount  the  latest  scandal." 

"Perhaps  he  is  reticent,"  remarked  Tom,  with  a 
laugh.  "  He  may  prefer  making  his  confession  to  the 
confidante  of  his  choice." 


34  PROFESSOR   GONANT. 

"No,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  with  simulated  irritation, 
"  I  did  not  follow  the  traditions  of  my  young  country- 
men in  the  French  capital,  and  I  avoided  society 
and  dissipation.  I  was  interested,  but  only  as  a  spec- 
tator." 

"  Well,  tell  us  what  you  saw,  please,"  said  the  first 
speaker.  "Imprimis,  no  doubt,  that  missing  link,  the 
American  tourist,  for  whom  there  is  never  room  enough 
and  the  price  is  never  high  enough." 

"They  are  a  queer  lot,  some  of  those  travellers," 
said  Lord  Bolton,  "and  in  the  invasion  of  Paris  by 
these  people  I  have  thought  at  times  that  the  gay  capi- 
tal would  altogether  lose  her  identity." 

"  No  doubt,  some  of  those  Americans  who  have  just 
struck '  bonanzas '  are  queer  folk,"  said  Robert.  "They 
suddenly  acquire  boundless  wealth  by  some  accident 
— and  accidents  of  that  kind  are  abundant  in  their 
country — and  they  have  no  judgment  as  to  its  use. 
They  are  like  the  nouveaux  riches  everywhere.  Sudden 
wealth  does  not  relieve  vulgarity.  I  know  a  city  where 
a  few  men  grew  fabulously  rich  in  a  night.  They  were 
equal  to  their  fortunes,  to  the  extent  of  taking  care  of 
them.  They  secured  control  of  the  enormous  industry 
by  which  they  had  prospered.  They  controlled  the 
agencies  which  manufacture  opinion,  and  they  created 
a  speculative  mania  which  engulfed  alike  the  highest 
and  the  lowest.  The  whole  community — the  cautious 
lawyer,  the  pious  parson,  the  prudent  merchant,  as 
well  as  the  most  thrifty  and  the  most  impoverished 
sons  and  daughters  of  toil,  strained  their  credit,  de- 
nied themselves  necessaries,  borrowed,  or  even  begged, 
the  means  to  buy  what  rose  or  fell  at  the  beck  of  these 
newly-made  millionaires;  till  that  community,  from 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LORD.     35 

the  cellar  to  the  garret,  was  ruined ;  and  these  men 
counted  by  hundreds  of  millions  the  spoils  which  their 
neighbors  had  lost.  Soon  some  of  them  commenced 
to  flaunt  their  vast  acquisitions  in  the  faces  of  the  poor. 
They  vied  with  each  other,  at  home  and  abroad,  in 
the  vulgar  display  of  money ;  they  bought  high  offices, 
which  they  neglected  and  disgraced;  they  chartered 
special  trains;  built  royal  palaces,  and  corrupted  for 
their  purposes  such  influence  as  they  could  not  crush 
or  otherwise  control.  Is  it  strange  that  though  their 
wealth  was  kingly  their  manners  were  boorish?  If 
they  were  vulgar,  there  was  excuse  for  them.  Do 
we  not,  sometimes,  see  rich  and  educated  men  of  our 
own  country  playing,  according  to  their  means,  the  same 
role  ?  These  men  are  not  the  outcome  of  democratic 
institutions.  They  are  only  possible  among  such  ex- 
traordinary material  developments  as  one  sees  in  that 
wonderful  country.  Ah  uno  disce  omnes" 

"Put  a  pin  there,  Bob,"  said  his  Lordship  ;  "I  have 
been  thinking  of  all  this,  but  I  could  not  have  said  it. 
I  want  to  hear  the  rest.  I  must  stroll  among  my 
guests  for  a  little  while,  but  I  will  rejoin  you." 

"Now  that  he  has  gone,"  said  Fred,  "you  may  re- 
fresh yourself,  and,  during  recess,  tell  us  quietly,  who 
these  nabobs  were,  Holt  ?  " 

Tom,  willing  to  rescue  him,  recited  slowly, 

"  Once  in  the  flight  of  ages  past, 
There  lived  a  man,  and  who  was  ho  ? 
Mortal  !  Howe'er  thy  lot  be  cast, 
That  man  resembled  thee." 

"If  your  muse  sings  of  me,"  said  Fred,  "I  would 
risk  that  my  '  lot  be  cast '  in  the  very  midst  of  those 


86  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

frightful  millions.  And  apropos  of  Americans,  Holt," 
he  continued,  "as  I  don't  worship  those  democratic 
people  at  home  or  abroad,  you  may  be  glad  to  know 
that  I  recognize  exceptions  to  my  rule.  I  met  at  a 
friend's  last  night  some  charming  people,  who  called 
themselves  Americans.  But  I  fancy  they  owe  a  good  deal 
to  the  education  of  schools  and  to  travel,  which  they  did 
not  acquire  at  home.  I  always  liked  old  Marshall  and 
his  daughters ;  but  then,  you  know,  they  have  lived 
mostly  in  England.  The  people  I  refer  to  are  a  Dr. 
Elmwood,  of  New  York,  and  his  charming  niece,  Miss 
Winthrop,  of  Boston.  Winthrop,  you  know,  is  a  good 
old  English  name,  and,  I  believe,  in  America,  it  is  the 
cognomen  of  a  fine  family." 

Tom  was  intently  reading  an  illustrated  book,  and 
Holt  was  amused  to  notice  his  apparent  abstraction. 

"  The  uncle  is  a  thorough  gentleman,"  Fred  went  on, 
"  and  Lawson,  of  our  Embassy  at  Washington,  told  me 
that  his  grandfather  was  General  Somebody,  of  the  re- 
bellion or  revolution,  or  something  of  that  sort,  which 
Washington  made  after  the  apple-tree  failed  him.  I 
had  never  heard  of  the  apple-tree,  and  I  had  never 
supposed  that  Americans  had  grandfathers.  But  the 
young  lady  was  charming.  I  cannot  say  that  she  is 
beautiful,  but  her  sweetness  and  grace  and  aje  ne  sais 
quoi  of  good  sense  and  good  breeding  quite  won  me.  I 
did  not  ask  the  Parson,  but  I  suppose  there  is  no  end 
to  her  wealth,  and  you  know  in  regard  to  that  I  am  not 
insured  against  the  weakness  which  has  so  often 
befallen  my  sex." 

"The  American  nation  will  be  profoundly  moved," 
said  Holt,  "  when  this  news  is  wired  across  the  water." 

"  Fancy  the  flaring  headings,"  said  Tom  ;  "  '  An  Aris- 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LORD.     37 

tocrat  Caught !'  '  Flirtation  in  High  Life  ! '  '  Another 
American  Triumph ! ' ' 

"  Oh,  she's  not  an  American,"  said  Fred.  "  The  "Win- 
throps  were  English,  and  she  has  been  educated  on  this 
side  of  the  water." 

"Nonsense!"  growled  Holt;  "how  many  of  the 
people  are  of  English  descent,  with  a  British  par- 
entage as  good  as  ours,  whom  you  misrepresent  and 
deride  because  you  fear  that,  following  their  example, 
the  masses  in  this  country  may  become  as  powerful  as 
their  brethren  in  that  ?  If  you  would  give  them  here 
the  blessings  they  enjoy  there,  the  masses  of  England, 
imitating  the  masses  in  America,  would  multiply  vastly 
the  power  and  prestige  of  their  country." 

"  I  shall  leave  you,  gentlemen,"  said  Tom,  "  till  his 
Lordship  returns.  It  is  not  fair  to  waste  so  much  elo- 
quence in  his  absence." 

At  that  moment  they  were  handed  a  message  from 
Lord  Bolton,  asking  them  to  join  him  in  the  library  at 
ten,  at  which  hour  he  would  be  free  to  receive  them. 

"That  means  business,"  said  Cuthbert ;  "you  must 
dilute  your  splendid  oration  for  the  simplest  digestion 
to  assimilate,  Bob." 

"  Bah !"  said  Tom,  turning  away ;  "  why  must  you  say 
disagreeable  things?  " 

The  guests  were  dispersed  in  little  knots  about  the 
room.  Some  were  discussing  the  latest  novel,  others 
the  latest  play.  A  young  author,  who  had  just  electri- 
fied London,  was  in  the  middle  of  a  distinguished 
group,  and  wit  and  repartee,  if  we  may  so  distinguish, 
were  holding  high  holiday.  On  his  right,  under  an 
alcove,  mellow  with  shaded  lights,  stood  the  great  mon- 
arch of  the  English  stage ;  and  his  vis-a-vis  was  the 


38  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

eldest  son  6f  the  legitimate  drama  in  America.  Lord 
Lester  and  Mr.  Marshall  were  on  the  right,  and  the 
Professor  and  Dr.  Elmwood,  who  had  come  late,  were 
on  the  left ;  and  the  question  was,  how  to  arrest  the 
downfall  of  Shakespeare,  which  seemed  imminent,  and 
restore  the  ballet  and  the  sensuous  stage  to  their  proper 
place  after  the  legitimate  drama.  It  was  admitted  that 
much  depends  on  the  actor's  conception  of  his  work 
and  upon  his  genius  in  the  interpretation  of  it. 

"  The  world  is  running  mad  after  display,"  the  Pro- 
fessor had  said.  "  The  beautiful  thoughts  of  the  olden 
time  are  supplanted  by  the  beautiful  ankles  and  the 
realistic  scenes  which  the  stage  puts  on  exhibition  to- 
day. Once  the  stage  roused  men  to  great  deeds  by  the 
presentation  of  great  thoughts.  Virtue  found  an  ally  in 
the  drama,  and  a  private  life  that  fell  short  was  only 
condoned  by  great  gifts.  To-day  the  popular  favorite 
wins  if  she  is  graceful  or  beautiful,  or,  above  all,  if  she 
is  known  to  be  a  professional  beauty,  or  to  have  trans- 
fixed a  royal  heart.  The  world  must  be  amused,  but 
amusements  that  are  not  instructive  have  no  place 
among  the  agencies  of  good  works." 

"  There  is  force  in  what  you  say,  Professor,"  said  the 
great  English  actor,  "but  the  evil  is  not  local.  My 
American  friend  will  tell  you  that  in  his  country  the 
legitimate  drama  struggles  and  wanes,  and  that  scenic 
display  is  the  goddess  of  the  h'our." 

"The  stage  cannot  tread  the  higher  paths  if  the 
people  will  not  sustain  it  there,"  said  the  American. 
"  The  tendency  of  all  amusements  is  the  same.  The 
old-fashioned  ballads  and  their  sweet  airs  have  fallen 
into  neglect,  though  more  heavenly  music  was  never 
rendered ;  and  now  our  favorites  are  snatches  from 
Patience  and  lolanthe." 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LOUD.     39 

"All  this  decadence,"  said  Lord  Lester,  "may  be 
traced  to  the  upheavals  of  modern  social  life — to  the 
democratic  sub-soiling  which  is  constantly  raising  the 
lowest  stratum  and  imparting  its  clammy  chill  to  the 
surface.  You  can  only  maintain  the  standard  of  refine- 
ment in  communities  that  are  not  over-weighted  with 
the  elements  of  degradation.  You  must  not  elevate  ig- 
norance too  rapidly,  or  you  drag  intelligence  down  to  its 
level.  You  may  vitiate  popular  taste  exactly  as  you  de- 
grade popular  opinion,  by  giving  vulgarity  a  jurisdiction 
which,  in  the  nature  of  things,  it  cannot  comprehend." 

"I  fear  your  position  is  more  plausible  than  defensi- 
ble," said  Mr.  Marshall.  "  I  do  not  know  how  far  the 
stage  is  supported  by  the  lower  stratum.  There  are 
multitudes  who  have  not,  as  yet,  been  raised  to  the  sur- 
face ;  and  as  to  this  question  of  vitiated  taste,  it  remains 
to  be  proved  that  it  is  not  inherent  in  the  upper  classes. 
"We  are  all  living  in  great  haste.  Men  are  absorbed  in 
the  bustle  of  affairs.  They  patronize  the  amusements 
for  rest  and  relaxation.  The  day's  excitement  has 
wearied  them.  They  are  in  no  mood  to  study  serious 
things,  and  they  go  rather  where  they  are  invited  to 
laugh  than  to  think." 

"Nero  was  a  cultivated  man,  but  Eome  was  profli- 
gate. Complaints  against  the  popular  taste  are  not  new 
to  history,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood ;  "  only  a  sound  educa- 
tion can  really  elevate  it  or  maintain  the  standard  when 
once  it  is  established.  There  is  great  need  of  reform 
and  vast  room  for  individual  effort.  We  shall  have 
gained  much  when  we  have  agreed  upon  what  we  want, 
and  can  then  clear  the  deck  for  action.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  stage  itself  might  do  much  of  the  work ;  it 
should  labor  to  create  good  taste,  instead  of  catering  to 
a  bad  one." 


40  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

A  pleasant  evening  was  far  spent,  and  most  of  the 
guests  had  departed.  The  old-fashioned  library  was 
aglow  with  light  and  warmth,  and  Lord  Bolton  had 
gathered  a  few  choice  spirits  about  him.  Wine  and  the 
fragrant  cigar  were  there  doing  duty,  and  Tom  was 
chiding  Mr.  Cuthbert,  who  had  grown  impulsive  and 
loquacious,  and  who  felt  moved  to  sing 

"  We  won't  go  home  till  morning." 

Holt  had  not  forgotten  his  theme,  and  had  more  to 
say  if  the  hint  had  been  given  him,  but  his  Lordship 
"  took  the  word,"  as  the  French  say. 

"  I  don't  think  your  picture  would  have  been  over- 
drawn, Holt,  if  I  had  allowed  you  to  finish  it,"  he  said ; 
"  you  always  startle  me  a  little  with  your  strong  words 
and  your  radical  views.  You  can't  expect  me  to  be  a 
democrat,  though,  thanks  to  you,  no  doubt,  I  can't  help 
leaning  that  way." 

"  No,  no,  let  me  go  on,"  he  exclaimed,  as  Holt  seemed 
about  to  interrupt  him.  "  I  know  what  it  would  mean 
for  me  and  my  class.  But  it  may  be  a  fair  question, 
why  should  we  be  pampered?  Why  should  the  poor 
delve  and  we  idle  in  affluence  ?  If  it  were  my  clear 
duty,  I  could  lay  down  my  rank.  Conscious  of  what  is 
duty,  there  are  many  of  my  class  who  would  follow  suit. 
But  would  the  State  profit  by  this  ?  And  how  would 
our  degradation  exalt  the  poor?  " 

"  My  dear  Lord  Bolton,"  ejaculated  Holt,  with  warmth, 
"  I  have  not  proposed  such  a  thing !  " 

"  Oh,  you  are  very  kind,  no  doubt,  and  would  do  no- 
body harm ;  but  your  doctrines  lead  up  to  that  or  they 
mean  nothing.  That  is  a  grand  doctrine — the  equality 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LORD.     ±\ 

of  man.  But  hereditary  distinctions  must  go  when  that 
comes."  He  paused,  and  then  exclaimed  :  "  How  many 
men  are  my  superiors  but  for  the  maintenance  of  these 
class  distinctions  ?  The  ennobled  class  must  think  of 
these  things.  We  are  not  called  to  act  now,  but  we 
ought  to  form  intelligent  and  defensible  opinions.  You 
are  young  yet,  Holt,  and  have  no  titles  to  throw  away, 
but  how  wouldst  thou  like  to  sell  all  that  thou  hast 
and  give  to  the  poor  ?  What  a  strange  melange  is  the 
French  Republic !  How  the  old  traditions  bear  against 
the  democratic  faith.  '  Egalite,'  but  the  noble  confronts 
the  citizen  at  every  turn.  '  Liberte,'  yet  old  restrictions 
are  not  yet  removed.  '  Fraternite  ! ' — look  at  the  vir- 
ulence of  the  press  and  the  deadly  malice  that  pervades 
discussions.  Are  they  better  or  worse  for  the  new 
regime  ?  I  don't  know,  though  I  am  trying  to  study 
them.  Has  the  Revolution,  that  great  reaction  against 
centuries  of  abuse,  done  its  work  ?  In  '30  and  '48  and 
'71  had  it  ended?  Pardon  me,  gentlemen,  but  these 
things  weigh  upon  me,  and  to  whom  should  I  speak  but 
to  my  friends?  In  Paris,  there  was  no  devotion  to 
equality,  in  the  ostentatious  display  of  wealth  among 
the  favored  sons  of  the  model  American  Republic. 
They  had  not  come  over  as  propagandists,  to  teach  the 
world  that  all  men  were  born  free  and  equal.  They 
outstripped  the  Shah  in  extravagance,  and  their  dia- 
monds outshone  the  stars  of  the  firmament  in  splendor. 
They  counted  their  wealth  by  millions.  They  must 
have  hoarded  the  gold  of  the  people — the  hard  earn- 
ings of  the  poor — and  there  must  be  some  startling 
wrong  that  makes  such  exactions  possible !  If  wealth 
is  to  be  hoarded  in  a  few  hands,  are  these  nouveaux 
riches  better  than  an  ancient  nobility  ?  " 


42  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

"  Much  learning  hatli  made  thee  mad,"  said  Cuthberfc, 
interrupting ;  but  he  continued  : 

"Gentlemen,  do  I  surprise  you?  Did  you  fancy  I 
only  thought  of  revels  and  sports  ?  I  have  been  taught 
the  maxim,  noblesse  oblige,  and  have  been  thinking  over 
grave  questions,  though  I  have  not  solved  thsm.  I  see 
difficulties  both  ways." 

"  Holt  shall  help  you,"  said  Cuthbert. 

"  Yes,  but  not  to-night,"  said  his  Lordship,  gravely. 
"  I  turn  to  a  brighter  side  of  my  Paris  picture.  There 
is  an  inner  circle  of  American  life  in  Paris  into  which  I 
have  never  penetrated.  I  have  met  delightful  Americans 
here,  but  I  thought  their  associations  had  been  English. 
A  dozen  of  my  friends  married  lovely  American  wives, 
but  they  had  for  the  most  part  been  educated  here.  And 
when  I  met  these  noisy,  showy  people  in  France  I  in- 
stinctively avoided  the  whole  race.  How  much  I  have 
lost  has  only  now  been  revealed  to  me.  One  night,  I 
met  a  gentleman  at  the  American  Minister's,  whose 
conversation  entertained  and  delighted  me.  He  told 
me  he  was  in  Europe  for  the  first  time ;  his  wife  and 
sister  were  in  Paris  with  him,  and  the  next  day  he 
asked  me  to  dine  with  them.  I  met  a  large  party, 
and  was  sumptuously  entertained.  I  never  enjoyed 
myself  more  thoroughly;  my  host  excelled;  his  wife 
was  a  perfect  hostess,  and  the  sister  was  the  finest 
woman  I  had  ever  seen.  The  whole  evening  was  to 
me  a  social  and  intellectual  treat  and  I  have  rarely 
enjoyed  myself  more.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  I 
acknowledged  bluntly  that  I  was  glad  to  find  myself  at 
an  exclusively  American  entertainment. 

"  Had  I  never  been  in  America  ?  the  hostess  asked 
me,  and  had  I  never  known  Americans  ? 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LOUD.    43 

'  Yes,'  I  answered,  *  I  had  a  few  American  friends  in 
London.' 

'  Oh,  they  are  really  English,  I  suppose,'  she  said. 

'  They  are  generally  residents  with  us,'  I  admitted. 

'But  you  must  come  to  America,'  said  both  my  host 
and  hostess. 

"  I  admitted  that  it  was  my  wish  and  my  intention  to 
do  so.  There  was  a  shout  of  welcome  for  me,  in  ad- 
vance, from  the  whole  delightful  party.  They  promised 
me  no  end  of  attention,  for  myself  and  my  friends,  and 
they  would  all  be  at  home  next  month  to  receive  us. 
I  said  I  could  not  speak  for  my  friends,  but  I  would 
myself  try  and  arrange  to  go  over  soon.  May  I  depend 
upon  you,  Tom,  to  hasten  the  expedition?  The  Pro- 
fessor will  be  responsible  for  us.  We  must  have  Holt 
for  spokesman,  and  Cuthbert  to  do  the  disagreeable 
without  which  Englishmen  in  a  foreign  country  would 
not  be  recognized." 

Torn  thought  things  might  be  arranged.  Fred  was 
asleep  by  this  time,  and  Robert  vouchsafed  no  remark. 

"  But  to  return  to  my  dinner,"  said  Lord  Bolton ; 
"  my  hostess  asked  me  if  I  had  seen  many  Americans  in 
Paris."  I  answered,  '  yes,  but  mostly  in  the  streets  and 
Boulevards.'  '  They  make  some  show  and  perhaps  some 
noise,'  she  said,  apologetically.  But  a  great  deal  that 
is  unfair  is  said  of  these  people.  They  are  sometimes 
vulgar,  but  they  are  not  unkind,  and  if  they  are  ostenta- 
tious, they  are  generous.  They  are  not  all  million- 
aires, but  they  have  been  blessed  with  thrift;  they 
can't  stay  at  home  in  the  hot  cities,  and  it  is  as  ea§y  to 
spend  the  summer  in  Europe  as  at  the  extravagant 
watering  places  of  their  own  country.  They  measure 
blessings  by  what  they  cost,  because  they  have  not  a 


44  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

better  standard.  They  know,  for  example,  that  pictures 
are  evidences  of  refinement ;  but  how  should  they  know 
the  difference  between  a  mere  daub  and  a  work  of 
genius?  Many  of  them  have  grown  suddenly  rich 
without  any  refined  ideas  of  the  use  of  money.  And 
after  all,  they  are  only  a  fraction  of  the  Americans  who 
travel.  They  attract  attention,  and  you  judge  us  all  by 
their  ostentation.  Americans  generally  here  are  polite 
and  cultivated  people.  But  of  course  this  noisy  class 
provokes  prejudice.  You  have  examples  of  the  same 
fortunates  in  England,  but  they  don't  occur  in  swarms 
as  with  us.  American  vulgarity,  indeed !  What  do  you 
think  a  Shoreditch  cabman  would  do,  going  to  bed  poor 
at  night  and  awaking  the  master  of  millions  ?  He  would 
build  a  castle,  first — rival  Buckingham  Palace,  or  Marl- 
boro' House,  that  he  might  be  master  of  a  mansion — in 
the  like  of  which,  and  in  its  humbler  rooms,  he  had 
waited  for  charity  crusts  in  his  boyhood.  You  will  find 
vulgar  Englishmen  enough  here,  but  they  are  gentle- 
men at  home  ;  that's  only  their  traditional  character  in 
a  foreign  country ;  but  you  do  not  find  Englishmen  of 
the  same  class  as  our  tourists  with  the  same  fortunes. 

'  Far  from  being  ashamed  of  my  countrymen,  because 
they  are  vulgar,  I  am  inclined  to  pity  yours,  who  are 
tied  to  poverty  and  have  not  the  means  to  air  their  vul- 
garity at  foreign  courts." 

"  That  was  an  eye-opener,"  said  Fred,  who  was  awake 
now,  "  and,  my  Lord,  you  recite  with  wonderful  pre- 
cision ;  you  were  born  for  the  stage." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  my  Lord  in  good  humor,  "  I  half 
think  I  have  surpassed  myself.  "Well,  these  excellent 
people  will  go  to  America  with  us,  and  you  will  see  if  I 
have  been  too  cheaply  charmed." 


THE  AMERICAN  COUSIN  DAZZLES  MY  LORD.      45 

All  London,  for  a  week,  had  been  chanting  the  praises 
of  Professor  Conant's  first  speech  in  Parliament.  It 
had  displayed  great  power  in  the  House,  and  had  struck 
the  popular  key-note  in  the  country.  It  was  a  masterly 
arraignment  of  his  opponents  on  the  dangers  of  their 
policy  and  the  shortcomings  of  their  latest  adminis- 
tration. It  was  what  ought  to  have  been  said  before, 
and  just  what  the  popular  ear  had  been  longing  for. 
The  friendly  newspapers  recognized  its  worth,  though 
they  had  not  been  prepared  for  its  oratorical  complete- 
ness. They  saw  in  Dr.  Conant  the  coming  man,  and 
it  was  time  to  see  a  firmer  hand  grasp  public  affairs, 
for  all  interests,  at  home  and  abroad.  Economy  must 
be  rigorously  enforced,  and  the  British  lion  must  growl, 
if  the  British  people  would  be  respected  by  foreign 
nations.  Not  that  Dr.  Conant  had  spoken  in  this 
strain,  but  the  leaders  of  opinion  used  hackneyed  battle 
cries,  and  rode  over  country  with  a  loose  reign  when  pop- 
ular enthusiasm  was  to  be  aroused.  But  the  adversary 
was  on  the  alert,  and  feared  the  speech  had  been  impru- 
dent and  dangerous.  Great  learning,  eloquence  of  dic- 
tion, oratorical  power — all  these  were  conceded ;  but  na- 
tions were  ruled  by  concession  and  compromise,  and  not 
by  rhetoric,  however  polished,  or  logic,  however  exact. 
But  these  deprecations  fell  upon  unwilling  ears.  The  peo- 
ple still  heard  the  graceful  periods,  the  pathetic  appeals, 
and  the  wise  admonitions  of  the  orator,  and  from  that 
moment  he  became  their  idol.  He  had  won  his  spurs 
in  the  House  and  the  nation  claimed  him  as  a  leader. 

While  all  this  was  going  on  in  the  city,  a  very  warm 
and  pardonable  interest  was  felt  in  the  Conant  mansion. 
Mrs.  Conant  had  never  been  too  well  reconciled  to  her 
husband's  entering  public  life.  She  knew  that  political 


46  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

\ 

and  parliamentary  duties  would  sadly  encroach  on  the 
Professor's  home-life,  and  Tom  had  thought  that  his 
father's  studious  habits  and  quiet  tastes  would  be  sadly 
broken  in  upon  by  the  exactions  and  excitements  of 
active  political  duties.  But  the  die  was  cast,  the  prize 
was  won,  and  doubts  and  regrets  were  forgotten.  Mrs. 
Conant  confessed  that  she  received  congratulations 
upon  her  husband's  success  with  assumed  indifference, 
though  her  heart  was  full  of  interest  and  pride ;  but 
Tom  was  outspoken  at  all  times,  and  declared  without 
reserve  that  he  would  rather  be  the  son  of  his  father 
than  heir  to  the  proudest  earldom  in  the  Kingdom. 

The  Doctor  himself  was  worn  with  the  great  labor  of 
preparation  and  the  exhaustion  of  long  speech,  and,  as 
he  said,  was  "  laid  up  a  few  days  for  repairs."  He  had 
gained  a  great  success,  to  which,  however,  he  always 
felt  himself  equal;  and  he  was  thankful.  If  he  was 
destined  to  higher  honors,  he  would  strive  to  bear  them 
meekly  and  well ;  but  if  he  knew  himself,  his  highest 
ambitions  were  not  personal ;  he  would  be  gratified  by 
successful  service  to  his  country  and  his  kind.  He 
had  been  overwhelmed  by  congratulations,  which  were 
grateful  to  him,  and  by  hints  of  higher  work  to  which 
he  must  shortly  be  called.  He  was  ready  for  greater 
burdens,  but  he  knew  they  would  detain  him  still  more 
from  his  favorite  studies  and  his  sweet  domestic  life. 
The  soft  strains  of  "Home,  Sweet  Home,"  were  heard 
in  an  adjoining  room,  and  he  knew  that  his  wife  was  re- 
calling the  melody. 

"  Yes,  darling,"  he  said,  and  the  tears  filled  his  eyes, 
"  let  it  ever  be  '  Home,  Sweet  Home ! '  What  are  these 
huzzas  and  plaudits  but  the  changing  breath  of  an 
hour  ?  Love  and  rest  abide  only  by  one's  hearthstone." 


CHAPTER  VL 

A  VOICE  FROM  THE   TROSSACHS. 

AT  breakfast,  one  morning,  Tom  received  a  dainty 

little   note,   addressed    "Capt.    Thomas   Conant,   

Guards,  Belmont  House,  May  Fair."     And  that  gentle- 
man read  aloud  the  words  following : 

Cox's  HOTEL, 

JERMYN  ST.,  ,  18 — 

MY  DEAU  CAPT.  COXANT  : 

We  have  just  returned  from  Scotland,  where  we  have  been  visit- 
ing friends,  and  where  everybody  is  wild  about  your  father's  great 
speech  in  the  House  of  Commons  last  week.  My  uncle  says  it  re- 
calls the  days  of  Burke  and  Sheridan,  and  would  you  mind  if  I  tell 
you  that  he  added  Webster,  too  ? 

I  read  every  word  of  it  by  a  Trossachs' lamp  light,  and  though  I 
am  only  a  girl,  and  I  dare  say  did  not  understand  it  all,  I  thought 
it  magnificent,  like  Macaulay.  I  could  not  sleep  for  hours,  and  I 
did  not  wonder  that  the  people  were  roused  and  electrified.  I  wish 
I  could  have  heard  the  rich  tones  as  they  fell  upon  the  enchanted 
ears  of  the  listeners.  What  a  God-given  gift  is  speech!  And  ex- 
cept that  their  work  remains,  how  inferior  is  the  painter  or  the 
sculptor  to  the  great  masters  of  eloquence !  My  uncle  is  calling  out 
that  my  letter  will  be  too  long.  But  you  won't  misunderstand  me, 
Capt.  Conant.  You  will  forgive  my  enthusiasm  over  the  grer.t 
event  which  has  electrified  a  nation,  but  in  which  I  am  chiefly  con- 
cerned with  what  it  brings  to  my  friends.  Surely  Dr.  Conant  is 
pleased  with  his  great  triumph,  and  Mrs.  Conant  will  regard  hers 
as  the  lot  which  only  falls  to  few  women — while  her  devoted  son 
will  not  misinterpret  the  interest  and  the  friendship  which  move 
me  to  write  this. 


48  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

With  kindest  love  to  your  father  and  mother,  and  regards  to 
yourself, 

Yours  sincerely, 

AGNES  WINTHROP. 


"  Oh,  she  is  a  good  girl,"  said  Mrs.  Conant ;  "  I  wish 
you  could  have  seen  more  of  Dr.  Elmwood,  dear ;  I 
think  them  charming  people." 

The  Professor  said  he  had  met  Dr.  Elmwood  several 
times,  and  had  found  him  a  man  of  good  breeding  and 
of  enlightened  views.  "  It  was  no  surprise  to  me,  as  it 
seems  to  have  been  with  some  of  our  friends,  to  meet  an 
accomplished  gentleman  from  America,  because  I  knew 
he  was  as  likely  to  be  found  there  as  in  the  most 
polished  European  society.  The  prevalence  of  sudden 
wealth  in  the  large  American  cities,  to  an  extent  not 
known  in  other  countries,  brings  the  rough  class  to 
the  surface,  and  it  will  require  a  generation  to  refine 
them ;  but  there  is  a  charming  and  necessarily  exclusive 
society  in  America,  equal  in  all  the  essentials  of  good 
breeding  to  anything  you  will  find  on  this  side  of  the 
water,  and  it  bears  as  large  a  proportion  to  the  whole 
population  as  does  refined  society  here  ;  while  you  see 
influences  disturbing  the  lower  strata,  the  masses,  and 
setting  before  them  the  incentives  to  improve  themselves 
and  elevate  their  children,  in  a  degree  unknown  to  us." 

"  Miss  Winthrop  is  a  lovely  girl,"  said  Mrs.  Conant. 
"  She  is  a  child  yet,  but  she  has  the  tact  of  a  woman 
and  the  information  and  culture  of  mature  years.  This 
is  a  noble  little  letter  she  has  written,  and  we  must 
waive  ceremony  and  call  upon  them  this  very  morning." 

"I  am  disengaged,"  said  the  Professor.  Tom  said 
nothing,  but  perhaps  he  thought,  they  had  forgotten 


A  VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACHS.  49 

that  the  dear  little  note  had  been  written  to  him.  So 
they  paid  a  morning  call  at  the  dingy  old  English 
Hotel,  to  find  their  friends  at  home,  and  delighted  to 
receive  them.  The  Professor  was  the  hero,  and  the 
young  lady  was  full  of  kindness  and  compliments. 
Mrs.  Conant,  too,  was  remembered  with  the  gentlest 
and  most  undemonstrative  flattery.  And  Tom,  who 
might  have  been  forgotten  but  for  little  Miss  Win- 
throp's  ready  tact,  was  made  the  happiest  of  the  morn- 
ing callers. 

"  I  like  this  dingy  old  hotel,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood  to 
the  Professor,  looking  round  at  the  capacious  and  well- 
furnished  rooms. 

"  You  generally  find  the  best  people  here,"  said  the 
Professor.  "The  late  proprietor  was  a  remarkable 
man  and  an  advanced  spiritualist  He  used  to  tell 
strange  stories  of  his  experiences.  In  his  time,  Wilson, 
the  great  apostle  of  Spiritualism,  made  his  home  here. 
It  was  in  this  room  that  Lord  Brougham  and  Sir  David 
Brewster  held  their  memorable  investigations.  It  was 
said  that  Brougham  was  staggered  at  first  by  what  he 
saw,  but  Sir  David  was  consistently  orthodox.  I  think 
they  both  agreed  at  last  to  report  in  a  sense  adverse  to 
the  pretensions  of  Wilson." 

Dr.  Elmwood,  who  was  greatly  interested  in  what  he 
had  seen  in  London,  called  it  the  survival  of  the  seven 
wonders  of  the  world.  And,  manifestly,  he  wanted  to 
talk  about  it.  To  him,  it  was  the  great  centre  of 
thought,  of  boundless  wealth  and  fabulous  develop- 
ment. There  was  want  of  taste,  there  were  November 
fogs  and  smoke  ;  but  where  else  do  you  encounter  the 
traditions,  the  antiquities,  Dick  Whittington,  Prince 

Hal,  Queen  Bess,  Charles  the  First,  and  Cromwell  ?    It 
3 


50  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

was  with  a  strange  emotion,  lie  said,  that  an  American 
descendant  of  Englishmen  trod  for  the  first  time  the  old 
soil.  In  all  the  busy  throng  about  him  there  might  not 
be  one  of  his  kith  or  kin :  but,  for  the  nonce,  he  had 
gone  back  to  the  musty  ages  when  his  fathers  occupied 
where  he  was  now  a  reverent  stranger.  He  had  stood 
at  the  tomb  of  Napoleon  in  the  Hotel  des  Invcdides,  in 
Paris,  and  while  a  thoughtless  multitude  chattered 
around,  he  was  over  awed  in  the  great  presence.  He 
heard  the  clangor  of  arms,  the  shouts  of  battle  from 
Austerlitz,  Marengo,  and  Waterloo,  and,  as  if  to  recall 
still  earlier  conflicts,  there  seemed  to  fall  upon  his  ear 
the  echoes  of  that  voice,  "  Soldiers !  from  these  pyra- 
mids the  deeds  of  forty  centuries  look  down  upon  you !" 
So  to  him,  in  Westminster,  the  dead  past  was  animate 
with  the  living  memory  of  deeds.  His  imagination 
peopled  the  chambers  of  death,  and  re-enacted  the  his- 
torical activities  of  the  past.  A  Londoner  is  open  to 
the  misfortune  of  regarding  all  such  thoughts  with  the 
familiarity  that  breeds  contempt ;  but  they  are  sacredly 
enshrined  in  the  heart  of  the  American,  who  is  capable 
of  reverent  emotions,  and  who  knows  the  history  of 
England  and  understands  his  own. 

As  Mrs.  Conant  rose  to  go,  Tom  proposed  a  drive  in 
the  park  ;  but  the  Professor  pleaded  an  engagement, 
and  finally  it  was  arranged  that,  as  Miss  Winthrop  pre- 
ferred to  walk,  she  and  Tom  should  stroll  together.  "  I 
like  to  be  self-reliant,"  she  said  to  Tom's  mother. 
"Some  of  my  English  young  lady  friends  are  half- 
scandalized  at  my  original  views;  but  I  never  took 
kindly  to  a  chaperon." 

"You  can't  come  to  harm  with  my  Tom  to  guard 
you,"  said  Mrs.  Conant,  proudly ;  and  the  young  people 


A  VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACES.  51 

sauntered  toward  an  aimless  destination,  each  conscious 
only  of  the  other's  presence,  and  both  caring  only,  if  the 
truth  must  be  told,  to  be  left  to  themselves.  To  that 
extent,  it  was  a  natural,  but  not  of  necessity  a 
very  serious  feeling,  and  might  have  been  shared  by 
dozens  of  their  young  friends,  who  only  occupied  a 
half-interested,  and  half-indifferent  relation  to  each 
other. 

"  You  received  my  note  this  morning  ? "  she  asked. 
"Was  it  in  bad  taste  for  a  little  girl  to  feel  so 
much  interested  in  a  great  man  ?  Uncle  was  doubt- 
ful if  I  should  write  it,  because  he  was  not  sure  of  the 
customs  here.  But  I  felt  an  irresistible  desire  to  share 
my  joy  with  you  all,  and  I  said,  What  is  the  difference 
between  telling  him  what  I  would  say  if  I  saw  him,  and 
writing  the  same  thing  in  a  note  ?  I  hope  I  did  not 
shock  you,  Capt.  Conant." 

"You  delighted  us  all,  Miss  Winthrop,  with  your 
great  kindness,  and  you  honored  me  most  by  ad- 
dressing me." 

"Then  let  it  pass  for  the  right  thing,"  said  Miss 
Winthrop ;  "  one  does  not  know  always  where  to  '  draw 
the  line '  among  the  customs  of  a  strange  country." 

"  We  were  pleased  for  my  father's  sake,"  said  Tom, 
"but  we  had  as  much  faith  in  him  before  the  great 
speech,  as  we  had  afterwards.  We  loved  him  neither 
more  nor  less ;  and,  as  to  his  distinctions,  he  had  won 
honors  in  other  fields  before  he  entered  Parliament." 

"  I  have  a  great  veneration  for  the  English  House  of 
Commons,"  said  his  fair  companion,  u  the  first  body  of 
gentlemen  in  the  world.  I  was  taught  that  at  school  in 
my  own  country,  and  I  hope  I  am  not  the  less  an 
American,  because  I  learned  that  the  British  Parlia- 


52  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

ment  affords  one  of  the  broadest  fields  for  the  exercise 
of  a  noble  human  effort.  To  have  excelled  in  tho 
ancient  halls,  that  have  echoed  with  the  eloquence  of 
Pitt,  and  Fox,  and  Burke,  and  Sheridan,  seems  wonder- 
ful to  me,  in  these  degenerate  days,  when  eloquence  is 
so  rare  a  gift,  and  popular  fervor  is  so  slow  to  kindle ; 
but  I  see  you  laugh,  and  I  know  I  am  beyond  my 
depth ;  my  uncle  says  young  girls  are  such  talkers." 

"  Pray  don't  excuse  yourself,"  said  Tom,  "  for  talk- 
ing well.  I  often  feel  it  would  be  a  great  boon  to  know 
what  to  say.  I  should  envy  your  gifts  if  I  were  not  so 
proud  to  see  you  exercise  them,  and  only  second  to 
graceful  speech  is  a  facile  pen.  Your  note  was  charm- 
ing." 

"  Do  you  remember  where  Falstaff  says  '  No  more  o' 
that  Hal,  an'  thou  lovest  me  ?  "  She  had  not  intended 
to  make  the  occasion  for  him,  but  what  man  would  not 
have  thought  of  it?  And  yet  he  was  not  precipitate, 
but  let  it  pass,  and,  looking  earnestly  into  her  face, 
said :  "  I  hope  you  have  not  written  me  your  last  note, 
and  I  also  hope  that  I  may  be  permitted  to  write  you 
when  I  cannot  see  you.  May  I  ?  "  he  asked  in  a  low 
voice ;  and  after  a  long  pause,  during  which  she  re- 
turned his  earnest  look,  she  answered :  "  Great  occa- 
sions may  excuse  some  divergence,  but  we  must  observe 
the  rules  in  steady  weather." 

"  How  much  I  wish  you  could  be  in  America  when  I 
am  there,"  he  said ;  "  it  would  be  so  jolly  to  meet  such 
a  friend  in  a  strange  country." 

"  What  is  your  object  in  going  ?  "  she  asked  abruptly ; 
"  Is  it  fun,  or  information  ?  Is  Mr.  Cuthbert  a  friend 
of  yours  ?  He  told  me  he  was  to  be  one  of  your  party. 
I  do  not  think  he  will  lead  you  to  deep  study.  Would 


A    VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACIIS.  53 

you  heed  a  real  friend,  who  would  love  to  serve  you  ? 
The  son  of  Professor  Conant  will  have  great  oppor- 
tunities in  America.  Fashion  will  open  wide  her  doors, 
but  literature,  art,  science,  all  the  rational  agencies  and 
economies  of  life  will  gladly  contribute  to  your  store 
if  you  find  time  to  encourage  them.  You  are  startled 
at  such  views  from  me,  but  I  have  been  a  little  trained 
in  these  matters.  I  must  tell  you  more  of  my  people 
before  you  go.  They  all  know  you  now,  and  I  have  a 
darling  brother,  who  will  be  eager  to  meet  and  welcome 
you  when  you  arrive.  Boston,  you  will  find  like  an 
English  city ;  it  abounds  in  wealth  and  culture,  but 
society  is  quiet  there.  New  York  is  more  mercurial 
and  versatile  ;  but  you  will  see  for  yourself.  It  is 
worth  your  while  to  make  America  a  study.  I  know 
this  from  my  brother.  He  says  young  Englishmen  go 
over  for  '  a  spree,'  and  neglect  their  opportunities  of 
observation.  Avoid  that,  for  your  own  sake.  I  want 
you,  and  you  ought,  to  understand  my  country  as  well 
as  your  own." 

"  You  shall  teach  me,"  said  Tom,  "  now  and  here." 

"  Are  you  candid  ?  "  was  her  response,  "  or  do  you 
trifle  with  me  ?  I  have  heard,  though  I  do  not  believe 
it,  that  a  rational  confidence  is  impossible  between  a 
man  and  a  woman.  Is  that  true  ?  Are  you  to  verify 
it  this  morning ?  " 

"  Upon  my  word,"  said  Tom,  "  I  listen,  with  the 
deepest  interest  to  all  you  say,  and  I  will  follow  your 
advice,  but  you  amaze  me  with  the  breadth  of  your 
views,  and  the  apparent  maturity  of  your  thought." 

"  Are  you  candid,  again  ?  Oh,  perhaps  I  am  preco- 
cious," she  said,  "  or  it  may  be  that  unusual  interest  has 
developed  unusual  powers." 


54  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"Are  you  interested  in  me,  Miss  Winthrop  ?"  Tom 
awkwardly  rejoined. 

"Why  ask  me  a  question  which  my  actions  have 
answered  ?  "  said  the  young  lady,  archly. 

"  Your  interest  is  reciprocated,  my  dear  Miss  Win- 
throp." 

"Ah,  now  we  are  approaching  forbidden  ground," 
said  the  lady,  as  she  pointed  to  an  impassable  barrier 
in  front  of  them,  which  they  were  nearing.  "  The 
poor  Heidelberg  school-girl  may  need  a  chaperon  after 
all,  unless  you  promise  to  be  very  good,  and  only  say 
such  things  as  a  school-girl  ought  to  hear.  I  am  going 
back  to  Germany  in  a  few  days,  and  when  we  have  to 
say  'good-bye'  there  should  be  no  blush,  or  pang, 
born  of  imprudent  confidences,  or  premature  avowals. 
Another  year  at  school !  And  in  that  time  the  world 
must  be  a  sealed  book  to  me  !  " 

"  But  may  I  not  hope  ?  "  said  Tom  passionately. 

"  We  will  return,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  "  wiser  and 
better  for  the  experiences  of  the  morning."  And  so,  at 
the  door  of  the  old  hotel,  they  parted  as  they  had  met, 
in  good  spirits — Tom  to  seek  his  rooms,  and  to  be  en- 
grossed in  his  meditations,  and  little  Miss  Winthrop  to 
hide  her  emotions  as  she  stood  with  pretended  uncon- 
cern at  the  door. 

On  her  return  from  the  hotel  that  morning,  Mrs. 
Con  ant  found  a  note  from  Robert  Holt,  which  agitated 
and  alarmed  her.  It  related  to  her  proteges  at  the  hos- 
pital. The  man,  as  Mrs.  Conant  knew,  had  died  somo 
days  before  of  the  fever.  The  unfortunate  woman  had 
breathed  her  last  the  previous  night.  Both  had  re- 
mained unconscious  or  delirious  to  the  last.  The 
woman  sometimes  had  raved  about  a  crime  and  a  con- 


A   VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACHS.  55 

fession,  but  all  attempts  to  obtain  information  from  her 
had  failed,  and  she  died  with  her  secret,  such  as  it  was, 
locked  in  her  poor,  stricken  heart.  Holt  was  himself 
ill,  but  he  had  provided  for  such  service  as  remained 
to  be  rendered.  The  child  was  well,  and  would  be  fur- 
ther cared  for.  Mr.  Holt  begged  his  aunt  not  to 
trouble  herself,  as  there  was  nothing  she  could  do. 
Above  all  things,  she  must  not  go  to  the  hospital,  nor 
visit  him,  as  his  physician  entertained  fears  that  he 
might  have  contracted  the  fever  there  ;  but  to  provide 
against  the  worst,  he  must  put  his  house  in  order,  and 
would  make  ample  provision  for  the  wants  of  the  child. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  show,"  the  letter  said,  "  that 
this  child  Avas  not  born  of  these  parents.  The  woman 
spoke  French  as  well  as  English.  Did  they  come 
from  France  ?  I  believe  the  child  is  of  gentle  blood, 
but  where  are  her  friends,  and  how  can  we  find 
them?  The  child's  life  will  be  blighted  if  it  grows  up 
as  the  acknowledged  offspring  of  vulgarity  and  vice. 
Can  we  keep  her  secret  ?  Or  ought  we  not  to  advertise 
her  story  in  hope  of  tracing  her  friends  ?  I  am  irrita- 
ble, and  these  things  worry  me.  In  a  day  or  two,  when 
I  am  well  again,  you  will  let  me  call  and  talk  to  you.  It 
all  seems  to  me  of  so  much  importance,  that  I  want  to 
take  the  Professor  into  my  confidence." 

"  Eobert  is  right,"  mused  Mrs.  Conant,  "  my  husband 
must  advise  us.  But  in  the  meantime,  the  poor  boy  is 
ill,  and  I  must  go  to  him.  Is  it  safe  ?  I  have  found 
myself  a  hundred  times  impervious  to  contagion,  and  I 
don't  believe  Robert  is  stricken  with  any  contagious 
disease.  It  may  be  only  a  simple  fever,  or  more  likely 
it  may  be  a  false  alarm.  Even  if  there  were  danger,  I 
must  go.  And  yet,  perhaps,  that  would  mean  danger  to 


55  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

our  little  daughter,  my  husband's  darling  and  my  own. 
But  this  letter  was  written  in  the  early  morning.  Hours 
have  intervened.  The  conditions  may  have  changed — 
he  may  be  better  or  worse.  I  must  see."  In  the  after- 
noon there  came  a  message  from  Robert  again.  He 
was  better  and  apprehended  no  further  trouble.  He 
would  pay  his  respects  on  the  morrow.  At  that  mo- 
ment there  arose  a  great  noise  as  of  an  earthquake  from 
the  dining-room  below.  "That  is  a  frolic,  indeed," 
thought  Mrs.  Conant ;  "  that's  Tom's  way  of  entertaining 
his  little  sister,"  and  the  child,  who  had  escaped  from 
both  Tom  and  the  nurse,  ran  wildly  to  her  mother  for 
protection. 

"  Oh,  Tom,"  said  his  mother,  "  how  can  you  tease  her 
so  ?  "  The  child  from  the  shelter  of  its  mother's  arms, 
regarded  him  with  defiance,  and  cried  out,  "  Do  it  again, 
Tom." 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  "  she  has  not  been  teased  against 
her  will,  mother.  She  is  father's  child.  How  little  she 
resembles  you !  It  follows  that  she  is  not  a  beauty  in 
the  esthetic  sense ;  but  to  me  her  strong,  lithe  little 
form,  with  its  romping  grace  and  poetry  of  motion,  is 
superior  to  all  conventional  beauty,  and  then  her  bound- 
less good  nature  and  joyous  spirits  make  her  the  jolli- 
est  of  little  girls  with  whom  to  kick  up  a  row.  Then 
look  at  her  face,  the  red  pouting  lips,  made  on  purpose 
to  kiss,  the  honest  gray  eyes,  with  arched  brows — that 
nose  is  father's  own — and  the  whole  likeness,  except 
that  it  is  a  smaller  type,  is  so  exact,  that  I  often  laugh 
over  it." 

"  Oh  yes,  she  is  like  her  father  in  looks,  in  dispo- 
sition, in  everything,"  said  Mrs.  Conant ;  "  but,  some- 
times, I  think  her  side  face  is  like  yours,  and,  you  know, 


A  VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACHS.  57 

they  used  to  say  you  resembled  me,  Tom.  It  was  a 
poor  compliment  to  you,  perhaps,  but  do  you  know,  I 
used  to  be  proud  of  it.  I  don't  know  that  I  wouldn't 
be  so  to  this  day.  She  is  as  mischievous  as  you  used 
to  be,  at  any  rate,  and  in  your  most  boisterous  moods 
you  Were  more  noisy  than  your  mother,  and  she  is  liko 
you  there  again ;  and  I  may  say  for  you  both,  that  when 
your  attention  is  arrested,  by  anything  touching,  or 
pathetic,  you  are  full  of  self-denial,  and  as  gentle  and 
sympathetic  as  a  nun.  But  I  suppose  the  more  aggress- 
ive and  masculine  traits,  would  be  a  tower  of  strength 
in  more  trying  times,  and  when  rougher  work  is  to 
be  done.  You  will  soon  go  away  from  me,  Tom,  and  it 
will  be  a  great  trial  to  part  with  you,  though  I  know 
it  will  be  in  the  way  of  duty  as  well  as  of  pleasure ; 
but  a  mother's  love  is  selfish,  let  the  poets  sing  as  they 
may." 

"  Oh,  I  shall  not  be  gone  long,  and  I  shall  come  back 
to  you  laden  with  tales  of  the  unknown  land, — and  it  is 
a  land  of  mystery,  of  great  resources,  of  vast  possi- 
bilities, and  of  a  future  that  may  some  day  outshine 
the  splendors  of  all  climes  and  countries.  I  hope  I 
may  have  time,  as  I  am  sure  I  have  the  inclination, 
to  make  myself  acquainted  with  all  I  see.  You,  my 
dear  little  mother,  will  miss  me,  I  know,  but  you  will 
always  feel  sure  of  my  love  and  my  prayers.  What  a 
home  I  leave,  and  what  a  mother !  "What  have  I  ever 
done  to  be  worthy  of  them  ?  But  I  have  an  ambition 
so  to  labor  in  the  days  to  come,  that  honors  may  be- 
fall me  in  my  country's  service  ;  that  some  day  it  may 
be  fairly  said  of  me,  that  I  left  the  world  not  unworthy 
of  my  family  and  its  fame." 

Holt  called  the  next  morning,  and  found  Mrs.  Conant 


58  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

with  the  Professor,  waiting  for  him.  He  said  he  had 
been  ill  the  morning  before,  and  the  doctor's  fears 
added  to  his  discomfort,  but  he  had  grown  speedily 
better,  and  a  good  night's  sleep  had  restored  him  to 
his  wonted  good  health.  Ho  had  been  worried  lately 
and  had  naturally  felt  the  wear  and  tear. 

"Well,  you  seem  to  bo  all  right  now,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor. "  After  what  your  aunt  told  me,  I  waited  for 
you.  Indiscriminate  charity  often  leads  to  embarrass- 
ment, and  your  poor  proteges  did  not  gain  much  by 
your  benevolence,  I  am  sure.  If  they  had  been  relieved 
through  the  recognized  channels,  something  might  have 
been  got  from  the  woman,  to  shed  light  on  your  pres- 
ent darkness.  It  might  have  been  found  out  that  the 
poor  child  was  hers,  or  the  story  of  its  abduction  might 
have  been  told." 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  Mrs.  Conant.  "  The  vaga- 
ries of  the  woman  were  the  result  of  disease  and 
would  have  displayed  themselves  all  the  same,  to 
whatever  influence  she  had  been  subjected.  But  it  is 
a  sad  story  wo  have  to  tell,  and  there  is  a  fearful  dark- 
ness nil  around  us." 

"  There  is  left  us  only  the  child,"  said  Robert,  "  and 
that  is  so  innocent  and  sprightly  in  the  midst  of  its 
misfortunes,  that  it  nestles  strangely  into  my  heart.  It 
would  be  a  sad  blight  on  its  life,  to  grow  up  as  the 
acknowledged  offspring  of  these  unknown  outcasts. 
Secrecy  is  the  only  safeguard,  and  the  sad  story  is 
known  only  to  us  three.  My  faith  is  strong  in  the  idea 
that  they  abducted  the  child  from  respectable  parents, 
who,  probably,  were  expected  to  pay  a  ransom  ;  but  I 
have  no  proof.  The  child  itself  is  evidence  to  me  that  it 
was  born  to  better  things.  It  has  nothing  in  common 


A  VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACHS.  59 

with  those  vagrants.  But  there  is  not  a  shred  of  evidence 
to  speak  of  better  days.  The  woman  let  fall  enough  to 
suggest  that  the  child  had  been  abducted,  though  she 
fell  short  of  any  statement.  She  raved  of  a  crime,  she 
promised  a  confession,  and  once,  in  her  wanderings,  she 
declared  that  she  had  never  intended  to  do  the  child 
harm.  She  spoke  of  him,  who  had  misled  her,  as  a 
monster,  and  she  seemed  to  have  a  conscience,  and, 
at  times,  some  refined  feeling.  But  if  the  child  has 
friends,  we  should  hear  of  them.  The  newspapers 
ought  to  be  full  of  the  outrage  ;  if  it  has  been  stolen, 
the  crime  must  have  occurred  within  a  few  weeks.  If 
this  were  a  romance,  a  clever  novelist  would  find  some 
family  mark,  locket,  or  needlework,  or  a  convenient  scar 
to  serve  as  a  means  of  identification.  But  we  are 
absolutelv  in  the  dark,  and  the  child  is  too  voung  to 

•/  v 

aid  us.  The  woman  spoke  French  like  a  native.  It  is 
not  likely  that  she  learned  the  language  in  London. 
Had  they  come  from  a  foreign  country,  Belgium  or 
France  perhaps  ?  Might  the  abduction  have  occurred 
in  one  of  the  provinces,  and  the  news  not  have  reached 
the  metropolitan  journals  ?  Suppose,  first,  that  the 
parents  had  been  travelling,  and  that  the  child  had  been 
left  with  this  woman,  as  nurse,  and  then  that  the  man 
had  seduced  the  woman  from  her  duty,  and  the  parents 

had  not  yet  returned .     Ah  me  !  how  could  they  ?  all 

that  is  absurd.  They  must  have  left  friends,  who  would 
have  noticed  the  child's  disappearance,  and  the  alarm 
would  have  been  given.  I  speculate  upon  all  this  night 
and  day.  While  the  woman  lived  there  was  still  hope, 
but  now  the  darkness  grows  thicker,  hour  by  hour.  I 
am  weary  and  disheartened,  and  I  brood  over  the 
calamity  as  if  it  were,  as  it  really  is,  my  own." 


60  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  The  misfortunes  of  life  are  distributed  among  mill- 
ions of  sufferers,"  said  the  Professor,  "  and  the  duty  of 
the  charitable  is  to  alleviate  want  and  woe ;  but  while 
our  benevolence  is  God-like,  and  our  sympathies 
heaven-born,  we  cannot  personally  take  upon  ourselves 
the  load  of  suffering  of  all  these  poor  multitudes.  That 
has  only  been  done  once  ;  unaided  human  nature  is  not 
equal  to  it." 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  you  mean,  and  you  are  right," 
said  Holt,  "but  my  sympathies  are  exceptional,  and 
irresistible.  I  have  tried  to  be  reasonable,  but  I  am 
the  helpless  creature  of  uncontrollable  impulse.  Some- 
times when  I  am  alone,  in  the  shadows  of  the  wee  sma' 
hours,  I  seem  to  hear  a  sublime  voice  urging  me  on,  as 
if  some  great  work  were  underlying  all  this  mystery.  I 
am  not  superstitious,  and  I  know  better,  yet,  in  my 
calmest  moments,  I  would  not  dare  withdraw  a  hair's 
breadth  from  the  line  I  have  laid  down  for  myself.  You 
may  think  mo  demented,  but  you  must  deal  with  me  as 
I  am,  and  who  knows  but  that  child,  and  these  events, 
are  in  some  way  connected  with  my  destiny." 

"This  is  dreadful,  Eobert,"  said  Mrs.  Conant.  "You 
suffer  from  a  strange  prostration ;  perhaps  change  of 
scene  would  restore  you." 

"Well,  no,"  said  Holt,  "  I  do  not  act  an  unwilling 
part.  When  once  I  have  settled  upon  my  course  it  will 
be  easy  enough.  Aunt,  I  must  adopt  that  child  as  my 
own  !  " 

"  Nonsense,"  said  the  Professor  ;  "  that  course  would 
expose  you  to  ridicule  and  possibly  to  scandal.  But  we 
have  talked  enough  about  this  to-day.  The  riddle  will 
some  day  solve  itself,  and  perhaps  unexpectedly. 
Meantime,  you  are  right,  the  affair  should  be  kept  as 


A  VOICE  FROM  THE  TROSSACHS.  (ft 

quiet  as  possible  ;  and,  perhaps,  in  a  few  days,  we  shall 
find  ourselves  guided  as  to  the  course  you  should  pur- 
sue. So  off,  now,  with  your  aunt,  for  a  drive  and  recrea- 
tion, and  I  will  go  to  an  engagement  for  which,  I  fear, 
I  am  late." 


CHAPTEE  YIL 

"THE  JOLLTEST  TRIP  EVEE  PEOJECTED." 

AFTEE  a  sojourn  of  two  or  three  days  in  London, 
Lord  Bolton  had  returned  to  Paris,  and  had  spent  the 
week  in  the  society  of  his  American  friends.  His  in- 
terest in  them  had  increased  as  he  knew  them  better, 

and  they ,  how  could  they  be   indifferent   to   the 

attentions  of  a  man  of  Lord  Bolton's  parts  and  station? 
He  had  written  Tom  to  get  his  leave,  and  to  muster 
friends  for  an  early  voyage.  His  Lordship  spoke 
kindly  of  the  Professor,  and  of  his  late  distinction, 
and  expressed  the  belief  that  he  would  be  speedily 
called  to  higher  duties ;  but  he  hoped  that  they  would 
not  interfere  with  this  American  trip,  upon  which 
he  had  set  his  heart.  "The  Professor  must  go," 
he  wrote  ;  "  who  more  than  he,  after  this  harassing 
session,  needs  change  of  scene  and  relaxation?  I 
know  there  will  be  strong  pressure  brought  to  detain 
him  by  some  of  his  friends,  as  well  as  by  the  agents  of 
party;  but  I  leave  you  to  plead  our  cause  as  best 
you  may,  and  I  am  sure  not  vainly.  We  shall  have 
the  addition  of  this  charming  party  of  Americans,  if  we 
are  ready  to  go  by  the  same  steamer.  I  think  I  told 
you  who  they  are,  but  they  have  been  recruited  by  a 
young  couple  who  were  in  Switzerland  when  I  was 
here  before.  The  lady  is  from  the  States,  and  is  of 
remarkable  beauty  and  refinement ;  the  gentleman  is  of 


"  THE  JOLLIEST  TRIP  EVER  PROJECTED."        63 

Canadian  birth,  but  of  French  descent,  and  is  the  head 
of  a  family  of  the  old  noblesse,  of  which  there  are  still 
some  scions  in  Canada.  They  are  people  of  large 
wealth,  I  believe,  and  they  reside  in  Quebec,  the  classic 
scene  of  Wolfe's  conquest,  and  the  only  walled  town  in 
America.  The  lady  wears  an  expression  of  sadness, 
which,  to  my  mind,  is  not  complimentary  to  her  hand- 
some lord,  whom,  nevertheless,  her  large  blue  eyes 
seem  always  to  follow  with  nervous  adoration,  which 
she  does  not  disguise.  He  met  her,  while  he  was 
'  sowing  his  wild  oats,'  in  the  capital  of  his  fatherland. 
I  am  told  that  these  young  French  provincials  of  rank 
and  fortune  are  both  wicked  and  extravagant  in  the 
world  of  fashion  here,  and  are  much  in  request  in  some 
circles.  At  all  events,  these  people  married  here,  only  a 
few  years  ago,  and  they  will  be  our  compagnons  de  voyage. 
Could  we  not  catch  the  fine  steamer  Alaric,  and  sail  on 
the  fifteenth  proximo,  from  Liverpool,  with  our  friends 
for  New  York?  You  will,  I  am  sure,  forgive  this 
trouble,  as  you  are  the  only  friend  who  has  leisure, 
whom  I  could  trust  with  a  delicate  mission." 

"  It  never  rains,  but  it  pours,"  thought  Tom  ;  which 
wise  and  original  observation  was  explained  by  the  fact 
that  he  had  just  met  Dr.  Elm  wood  in  the  Strand,  who 
had  told  him  that  Miss  "Winthrop  would  probably  go 
home  with  him  by  the  same  steamer,  on  account  of 
recent  occurrences  in  her  family.  That  night  Tom  tele- 
graphed to  Lord  Bolton,  that  Col.  Lyons,  Fred  Cuth- 
bert,  and  himself  were  ready  ;  but,  that  his  father  and 
Robert  Holt  could  not  answer  for  a  day  or  two. 

"Tell  them  not  to  spoil  the  jolliest 'trip  ever  pro- 
jected," was  wired  back,  in  reply,  and  Tom,  weary  with 
his  day's  work,  retired  early.  But  it  was  not  decreed 


64  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

that  the  trip  should  be  spoiled,  or  that  my  Lord 
should  be  disappointed.  The  Professor  had  managed 
it  by  promising  to  return  early,  and  Robert,  by  the 
assurance  of  Mrs.  Conant  that  she  would  look  after  the 
baby.  As  to  that  very  young  lady,  it  had  been  agreed 
that  for  the  present  her  secret  should  be  kept,  although 
the  necessity  was  apparent  that  the  nurse  should  be 
more  or  less  trusted.  Robert  had  confidence  in  her, 
and  kept  her  in  his  service.  Cautious  advertisements 
addressed  to  "  the  parents  of  a  lost  child,"  were  insert- 
ed in  the  Frei^h  and  English  metropolitan  journals, 
and  we  may  as  well  anticipate  the  future  by  avowing 
that  they  led  to  no  results ;  nobody  thought  of  America 
as  a  possible  field  oi  inquiry.  Meantime,  the  infant 
grew  and  prospered,  and  was  not  even  interested  in  the 
photographs  which  its  foster-father  insisted  on  taking 
with  him  across  the  water,  or  conscious  of  the  emotion 
with  which,  on  the  eve  of  his  journey,  he  bade  her  a 
tender  farewell. 

Tom  took  Dr.  Elmwood  to  the  House  of  Commons 
one  night,  where  they  heard  the  veteran  Prime  Minis- 
ter summing  up  the  work  of  the  session.  Every- 
thing, but  the  conduct  of  the  opposition,  which  he 
mildly  regretted,  was  painted  coukur  de  rose.  The  ad- 
ministration of  the  year  had  apparently  paved  the  way 
for  the  millennium  to  be  rung  in ;  abroad,  peace  pre- 
vailed, where  war  had  threatened ;  at  home,  except 
that  there  was  some  obstruction  in  the  House,  and 
some  turbulence  outside  of  it,  contentment  and  pros- 
perity prevailed.  "A  loyal  Englishman  may  safely 
leave  the  country  in  such  hands,"  said  the  Doctor. 
"  The  House  will  be  dull  after  this.  You  shall  first 
point  out  to  me  a  few  of  the  distinguished  men  in 


"  THE  JOLLIEST  TRIP  EVER  PROJECTED."        65 

the  House,  whom  I  have  not  met,  and  then  we  will  re- 
pair to  my  rooms,  where  we  shall  find  friends,  who  will 
be  glad  to  welcome  us." 

"  Do  you  see  the  benignant  face  of  that  old  gentle- 
man," said  Tom,  "  who  is  speaking  to  my  father  just 
now  ?  He  is  the  great  leader  of  the  Peace  party,  and 
the  finest  orator  in  England." 

"  Oh,  I  know  him  well,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  his  name 
is  a  household  word  in  America." 

"Well,  he  has  a  difficult  path  to  tread,  sometimes, 
and  one  could  not  subscribe  to  all  his  teaching ;  but  I 
would  rather  enjoy  his  reputation  than  sit  with  the 
peers  of  the  realm.  And  that  nervous  young  man 
who  sits  opposite  him,  near  the  table,  is  Lord  North,  a 
cousin  of  Bolton's.  He  leads  a  Tory  faction  of  the 
House.  He  has  been  making  rather  a  fiery  record  here, 
but  his  industry  and  pluck,  and  above  all,  his  long  and 
noble  lineage,  will  bring  him  to  the  front,  when  his  time 
comes.  That  tall,  graceful  member  standing  on  the 
right  of  the  speaker's  chair,  is  Mr.  O'Halloran,  the 
leader  of  the  Irish  Home  Rulers.  He  and  his  party 
have  been  the  '  obstructives '  of  the  session,  claiming  that 
the  way  to  get  concessions  from  John  Bull  is  to  bully 
and  annoy  him.  It  is  our  national  calamity,  this  Irish 
question,  and  Ireland  is  the  avenging  Nemesis  of  Eng- 
land, as  you  well  know.  But,  I  believe,  there  are  few 
Englishmen  who  would  not  be  glad  to  do  her  justice,  if 
they  could  see  their  way  without  pulling  the  temple 
about  their  heads." 

"After  all,  I  know  these  men  by  appearance  and 
reputation,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  but  I  had  not  recognized 
them  in  the  distant  gaslight." 

"Heigho,"  said  Tom,  "lam  tired  and  prosy.    Let 


66  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

us  go ; "  and  the  two  gentlemen  walked  rapidly  in  the 
direction  of  Jermyn  Street,  to  find  Miss  "Winthrop 
entertaining  Fred  Cuthbert  and  half  a  dozen  young 
friends.  "  Oh,  Capt.  Conant,"  she  said,  "I  do  hope  you 
are  coming  by  the  Alaric,  so  that  we  may  all  go  home 
together.  Mr.  Cuthbert  speaks  doubtfully  of  the  time 
you  are  likely  to  sail,  but  I  think  it  would  be  wicked  if 
you  do  not  come  with  us." 

"Oh,  Fred  teases  everybody  with  his  uncertain 
ways,"  said  his  sister,  Miss  Alice  Cuthbert,  saucily; 
"  and  if  he  had  been  the  good  brother  he  pretends,  he 
might  have  induced  Capt.  Conant  to  persuade  his  mother 
to  accompany  the  Professor,  and  I  might  go  under 
her  protection." 

"  At  first  we  did  not  propose,"  said  Tom, 

"  To  burden  yourself  with  ladies,"  chimed  in  Miss 
Alice,  with  assumed  petulance ;  "  but  a  party,  now  in 
Paris,  is  likely  to  join  us,  and  when  I  found  Miss  Win- 
throp would  also  do  us  that  honor,  I  did  try  to  per- 
suade my  mother  to  come  ;  but  she  pleaded  inconven- 
ience, and  finally  said  she  had  absolute  engagements, 
which  must  detain  her  here  for  the  next  few  weeks. 
You  know  she  has  a  colony  of  poor  people  under  her 
charge  ;  she  has  to  distribute  to  some,  and  provide  for 
others,  and  I  do  believe  she  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the 
hardest  worked  women  in  England." 

"It  is  a  noble  work,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood. 

"Yes,  I  would  rather  be  a  successful  dispenser  of 
charities ;  I  would  rather  devote  my  life  to  elevate  the 
poor,  or  to  feed  them — to  bind  up  the  wounds  of  those 
who  have  fallen  by  the  way,  to  wipe  the  tears  and 
assuage  the  grief  of  the  broken  hearted,  than  to  reign 
as  Queen  of  England." 


"  THE  JOLLIEST  TRIP  EVER  PROJECTED."        67 

"  Yes,  Agnes !  "  said  several  young  ladies  in  concert. 
But  Miss  Cuthbert,  nothing  daunted,  returned  to  the 
charge. 

"  Mrs.  Conant  might  surely  be  just  as  good,  and  at 
the  same  time  enjoy  recreation  and  pleasure.  The  poor 
she  will  always  have  with  her,  but  she  can't  always  go 
to  America  with  me." 

"Oh,  Alice,"  said  her  brother,  "you  should  think  be- 
fore you  speak  ;  your  pug  would  die  of  sea-sickness  on 
the  voyage,  and  surely  you  could  not  think  of  leaving 
it  behind." 

"  My  husband  shall  punish  your  impertinence  some 
day,  sir,"  she  retorted.  Further  discussion  showed 
what  the  company  thought,  and  the  current  opinion 
convinced  Tom  that  his  mother  ought  to  go ;  but  he 
was  not  able  to  persuade  her.  He  did  not  know  of  her 
engagements  to  Robert  Holt's  child. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

"GOING  DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS." 

TIME  sped,  and  our  travellers  were  busy  with  their 
adieux  to  friends,  and  with  their  preparations  for  the 
voyage.  Lord  Bolton,  whose  confidence  in  the  Captain 
and  his  good  ship  did  not  extend  to  what  he  called  her 
library,  her  larder,  or  her  cellar,  had  furnished  choice 
books,  rare  delicacies,  and  old  wines ;  and  every  one 
provided  necessaries  which  were  never  again  seen  dur- 
ing the  voyage.  Fred  gathered  prescriptions,  given 
him  by  anxious  friends,  at  the  clubs  and  the  street 
corners,  against  that  terrible  ailment — mal  de  mer. 
The  Professor,  overwhelmed  with  work,  was  still  doubt- 
ful whether  he  could  go  or  not,  and  when  Tom  took  an 
affectionate  leave  of  his  family,  it  was  an  open  question 
whether  his  father  would  or  would  not  be  able  to  join 
them  at  Queenstown,  by  a  Sunday  flight  through  Ire- 
land, by  rail.  He  dreaded  to  start.  He  half  dreaded, 
he  told  Mrs.  Conant,  lest  some  calamity  should  befall 
her  while  he  was  gone.  But  she  who  had  committed 
her  darling  son  to  the  merciless  deep,  felt  that  all 
would  be  safer  if  her  husband  bore  him  company.  Be- 
sides, the  Professor  needed  rest.  She  would  persuade 
him  gently,  by-and-bye,  she  said  to  Tom ;  for  the  pres- 
sent,  she  did  not  doubt  he  would  go.  Fred  tenderly 
embraced  his  family,  and  had  been  overwhelmed  with 
mock  reproaches  from  his  sister,  who  still  com- 
plained. 


"GOING  DOWN  TO   THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS."          69 

The  time  of  the  ship's  departure  depends  upon  the 
tide,  and  it  was  by  a  night  journey  to  Liverpool  that 
our  tourists  reached  the  sea.  That  sprightly  town  was 
shrouded  in  fog,  and  drenched  in  its  accustomed  rains, 
on  the  eventful  morning.  The  hotels  were  thronged 
with  passengers,  bound  for  the  Alaric,  and  for  other 
steamers ;  and  the  piles  of  baggage,  from  the  tiny 
valise  to  the  huge  "  Saratoga  "  of  fashion,  that  blocked 
the  streets,  had  rather  the  appearance  of  a  military  ex- 
pedition than  the  peaceful  outfit  of  quiet  travellers. 

The  fine  steamer  lay,  a  majestic  sight,  in  the  distant 
waters ;  a  dingy  tug  was  the  only  means  of  approaching 
her.  The  shop-keepers  are  on  the  alert,  the  hack-men 
are  reaping  fortunes,  everybody  hurries,  as  if  the  first 
on  the  tug  would  be  the  first  at  home.  The  crowds  on 
the  little  tug  can  find  no  rest  or  comfort,  except  in  the 
hope  that  they  may  soon  be  able  to  leave  her;  and, 
when  Tom  had  climbed  up  the  side  of  the  great  steamer, 
and  went  to  the  state-room  that  had  been  allotted  him, 
he  found  two  or  three  excited  people  claiming  it,  and 
the  purser  explaining  that  their  own  quarters  were  this 
way  or  that,  and  they  themselves  declaring  that  the 
geography  of  the  ship  was  an  impenetrable  puzzle.  It 
would  all  be  plain  enough  in  a  day  or  two,  but  one 
could  not  master  the  magnificent  distances  at  first  sight. 
Tom  sought  the  deck,  and  was  crushed*  by  the  crowd  of 
jostling  and  excited  passengers.  On  the  one  hand, 
was  the  broad  expanse  of  the  sea  around  him  ;  on  the 
other,  lay  the  great  city  in  the  distance,  with  its  mag- 
nificent wharves  and  its  far-stretching  environs.  The 
fresh  breeze,  freighted  with  briny  odors,  fanned  his 
cheeks,  and  the  fleecy  clouds,  far  away,  assumed  the 
fantastic  shapes  of  antique  men  and  women,  who  beck- 


70  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

oned  him  out  to  the  deep  waters.  It  was  the  begin- 
ning of  a  new  life.  "What  had  it  in  store  for  him? 
Would  the  peaceful  wave  befriend  him,  or  was  he  to 
be  lashed  and  overwhelmed  with  the  dangers  which 
had  made  seafaring  perilous  since  the  earliest  days, 
when  men  "went  down  to  the  sea  in  ships?"  From 
the  times  of  Jonah  and  Ulysses,  no  skill  guaranteed 
immunity  from  the  dangers  of  angry  waters.  He  did 
not  fear ;  he  only  pondered,  as  the  bravest  and  most 
experienced  mariners  had  done  in  all  time  before. 
What  was  his  life  compared  with  the  vast  waste  of  ages, 
which  could  only  be  computed  when  the  "  sea  should 
give  up  her  dead?"  But  he  would  rouse  and  re- 
assure himself,  and  look  after  the  comfort  of  his 
friends. 

"Have  you  seen  Mr.  Holt?"  he  asked  of  his  ser- 
vant. 

"  No,  sir ;  but  Col.  Lyons  is  in  his  cabin,  and  Mr. 
Cuthbert  is  beyond  the  wheel-house  yonder." 

"  What  are  you  doing  there,  Fred  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  rehearsing,"  said  the  other,  as  he  leaned 
over  the  ship's  rail ;  "  I  dare  say  I  shall  get  used  to  it, 
and  I  am  learning  to  go  it  alone." 

"  Are  you  sick  in  these  still  waters,  and  the  ship  not 
ui  motion?  " 

"I  am  discounting  the  future,"  said  Fred,  slowly, 
"  after  the  manner  of  the  Jews.  I  am  practising  atti- 
tudes in  my  hour  of  strength,  and  against  the  day  of 
need ;  I  am  drawing  on  my  imagination  at  about  two 
hours  sight.  I  expect  to  attract  attention.  I  shall  be- 
come the  distinguished  passenger.  Don't  you  see  the 
advantage  of  my  studying  my  pose  ?  " 

Tom,  with  an  ejaculation  of  "  nonsense,"  turned  away ; 


"GOING  DOWN  TO   THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS."          71 

he  was  in  no  mood  for  badinage,  and  lie  would  see  if  he 
could  be  useful  to  others. 

"  Why,  Holt,"  he  said,  "  you  look  desolate.  Are  you 
really  forlorn  at  leaving  home?  Well,  I  am  sad  my- 
self ;  and  yet  we  English  are  notorious  wanderers.  Per- 
haps the  race  is  running  out." 

"  I  am  not  cheerful  I  confess,"  said  Robert,  "  and  yet 
I  don't  know  why,  for  nothing  would  have  deterred 
me  from  taking  this  voyage.  It  is  an  event  in  my  life. 
I  am  not  going  half  willingly,  for  I  seem  drawn  by  un- 
seen hands.  There  is  some  mystery  for  me  in  this 
journey.  You  will  see,  perhaps,  when  it  is  solved." 

"  You  are  out  of  sorts,  Robert,"  said  Tom  ;  "  the  sea 
air  will  restore  you." 

Lord  Bolton  sauntered  into  the  saloon  with  Tom, 
to  note  the  long  tables  groaning  with  delf  and  crystal, 
and  to  watch  the  ample  preparations  for  dinner. 

"  Can  I  have  a  private  table  for  my  party  ? "  he 
asked. 

The  steward  looked  puzzled.  "  Have  you  made  no 
arrangements,  sir  ?  " 

"None,"  said  his  Lordship.  "James  should  have 
seen  to  this." 

"  They  do  not  know  his  rank,"  said  Tom,  aside. 

"We  are  crowded,  sir,"  said  the  steward;  "your 
friends  will  be  safer  to  take  the  seats  first,  as  they  want 
them." 

"  Oh,  I'll  see  the  captain,"  said  Tom. 

"  No,  stay,"  said  my  Lord ;  "  we  will  take  our  chances. 
Things  will  regulate  themselves  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
we  will  commence  the  practice  of  equality  in  our  own 
waters." 

The  great  ship  steamed  slowly  out  to  sea,  and  by  the 


72  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

time  she  was  fairly  under  way  dinner  was  served  at  a 
table  which  could  accommodate  three  hundred,  in 
a  ship  numbering  five  hundred  first-class  passengers. 
There  was  ill-concealed  irritation  from  the  unfor- 
tunates left  to  wait,  and  whose  keen  relish  of  the 
savory  odors  did  not  improve  their  tempers ;  while, 
as  in  the  outer  world,  the  well  provided  classes  paid 
little  heed  to  the  tempted  and  famished. 

After  dinner,  Lord  Bolton  had  been  unremitting  in 
his  endeavors  to  bring  his  friends  together  at  the  earli- 
est moment ;  and  they  had  indulged  in  the  cordial  com- 
mon places  of  strangers.  But,  in  the  evening,  when 
they  were  all  ensconced  on  the  broad  deck,  en  famille, 
and  the  waves  gently  washed  the  ship,  and  the  pale 
moon  looked  wistfully  down  upon  them,  they  forgot  the 
restraints  of  their  first  meeting,  and  their  conversation 
sparkled  with  wit,  and  abounded  in  good  nature. 

How  often  has  the  friendship  of  a  life-time  been 
kindled  at  sea?  Social  intercourse  is  more  unre- 
strained, and  there  is  an  unconscious  search  for  novelty 
and  adventure  on  shipboard;  each  has  the  same  re- 
stricted amusements  and  common  interests,  the  feelings 
are  more  easily  touched,  and  there  is  less  distracting 
competition  and  variety  than  are  found  in  the  great 
world  of  society,  with  the  fixed  rules  that  govern  it. 
Some  may  cavil  at  this  solution,  and  we  do  not  insist 
upon  it ;  but  these  pages  will  bear  witness  to  the  fact 
that  friendships  grow  rapidly  at  sea. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  and  Miss  Roberts,  of  Wash- 
ington, and  M.  and  Madame  De  Luynes,  of  Quebec, 
Lord  Bolton's  friends  in  Paris,  were  what  he  had  de- 
scribed them,  "  charming  people  ;"  and  Fred  Cuthbert, 
aside  to  Miss  Winthrop,  had  maliciously  whispered, 


"GOING  DOWN  TO  THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS."          73 

that  there  would  shortly  be  another  case  of  a  great 
Lord  prostrate  before  aii  American  beauty. 

Our  travellers  were  spending  a  pleasant  evening,  and 
were  already  on  the  footing  of  friends.  Fred  was  in 
unusual  spirits,  and  had  forgotten  his  sea-sickness  and 
his  cynicism.  Tom  and  Miss  Winthrop  were  rather 
selfishly  absorbed  in  each  other  ;  and  Robert  Holt  was 
full  of  fun  and  anecdotes.  The  latter  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  the  mysteries  of  his  destiny,  toward  which 
he  had  dreamed  the  ship  was  bearing  him. 

M.  De  Luynes,  Eobert  thought,  was  an  excitable 
and  impetuous  talker,  intolerant,  but  witty  and  clever; 
and  Robert  observed  that  his  wife  was  ill  at  ease 
when  he  spoke,  as  if  she  feared  an  extravagance  of 
some  sort,  perhaps  only  an  imprudence  of  expression. 
De  Luynes  was  tall,  handsome  and  intellectual ;  but  his 
eyes  were  restless,  and  his  manner  unassured.  His 
fine  young  face  wore  a  weary  look  of  care,  beyond  his 
years,  and  might  have  denoted  one  not  unfamiliar  with 
"  revelry  by  night." 

Madame  De  Luynes'  great  beauty  was  not  marred  by 
the  tinge  of  melancholy  which  had  touched  her  face  ;  and 
when  her  expression  was  animated  by  sympathy  or  by 
thought,  Robert  felt  that  he  had  never  seen  anything 
so  lovely.  Her  sweet  voice  and  gentle  manner  had  at 
first  touched  him  as  indescribably  charming ;  and  as  the 
evening  wore  on,  he  wondered,  could  it  be  that  this 
rollicking  husband  was  indifferent  to  such  unusual  fasci- 
nations. 

She,  on  her  part,  had  not  been  unobservant  of  the 
young  man's  interest;  and  her  husband  had  spoken 
to  her  in  terms  of  admiration  for  him.  "He  is  a 
scholar  and  a  thinker,  and  I  shall  be  deceived  if  you 


74  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

do  not  find  him  a  Christian  gentleman,"  De  Luynes 
said;  and  she  had  answered  that  his  quiet  dignity 
inspired  a  feeling  of  restfulness  and  confidence,  as  if 
he  were  equal  to  great  occasions — one  who  might  defy 
dangers  and  rescue  the  unfortunate  from  perils. 

In  the  midst  of  these  conversations,  the  heavens 
were  suddenly  overcast,  and  the  wind  freshened, 
to  be  succeeded  by  mists  and  fogs,  as  so  often 
happens  in  these  weary  nights  along  the  coast  of  Ire- 
land. The  ladies,  therefore,  heeded  the  warning  to 
retire. 

Fred  Cuthbert,  who  had  felt  a  little  de  trop,  up- 
braided Tom  for  his  dulness  all  the  evening.  "Where 
have  you  been,  and  what  have  you  done  for  the  welfare 
of  my  fellow  travellers  and  myself  ?  "  said  Fred.  "  I 
wish  I  had  brought  Alice,  who  would  at  least  have 
scolded  me,  and  that  would  have  been  better  than  to 
be  left  without  attention."  Looking  at  Lord  Bolton, 
he  added,  "  Why  could  you  not  follow  an  illustrious  ex- 
ample, Tom,  and  give  initial  lessons  in  the  only  art 
which  is  not  in  danger  of  being  lost?  Why,  you've 
been  sitting  alone  the  whole  evening." 

"Don't  be  disagreeable,  Fred,"  said  Robert,  half 
alarmed. 

"  Impertinence  is  not  wit,  Mr.  Cuthbert,"  said  Lord 
Bolton,  with  assumed  severity ;  "  but  that  I  love  your 
father  I  should  be  tempted  to  throw  you  overboard." 

"  I  am  my  father's  debtor  in  many  ways,"  said  Fred ; 
"  but  this  great  forbearance  of  my  Lord  I  shall  credit 
to  his  own  prudent  kindness." 

There  was  a  laugh,  and  with  cordial  "  good-nights," 
the  party  separated. 

Half  an  hour  later,  Robert  found  himself  discussing 


"GOING  DOWN  TO   THE  SEA  IN  SHIPS."          75 

sardines  on  toast,  among  other  tilings,  with  M.  Maurice 
De  Luynes,  in  the  saloon. 

"  The  Canadian  trip  to  Liverpool  is  lovely  in  sum- 
mer," De  Luynes  said ;  "  you  descend  the  river  to  the 
Gulf,  and  the  Straits,  and  you  are  three  days  in  sight 
of  land  before  reaching  the  sea.  The  ships  are  fine, 
the  service  reasonable,  and  the  voyage  out  from  our 
Canadian  shores  is  much  patronized  by  people  from 
the  States." 

"  I  have  heard  that  it  is  beset  with  dangers,"  said 
Robert. 

"  Oh,  the  navigation  of  the  whole  Northern  Atlantic 
is  somewhat  perilous,"  replied  De  Luynes.  "  In  earlier 
days  the  St.  Lawrence  route  was  not  well-known,  and 
there  were  many  terrible  disasters ;  but  for  years  there 
has  been  apparent  safety.  I  would  not  care  to  return 
by  these  boats,  they  are  so  crowded  with  steerage  pas- 
sengers. In  the  event  of  serious  accident,  the  number 
on  board  would  greatly  diminish  the  chances  of  escape. 
I  always  go  out  from  home  and  return  by  New  York  in 
the  Saturday  boats  for  this  reason.  You  have  never 
been  in  Quebec?  The  old  city  will  interest  one  of 
your  taste  and  acquirements.  It  is  not  a  commercial 
city,  though  its  harbor  is  magnificent,  and  its  railway 
facilities  are,  and  will  be,  ample  for  any  trade ;  but  we 
are  slow  to  take  advantage  of  our  opportunities,  and 
have  been  over-matched,  and  often  outstripped  by  more 
enterprising  commercial  rivals.  A  great  man  once 
slandered  us  by  saying  that  no  one  had  as  yet  been 
born  in  Quebec  who  could  see  beyond  her  walls.  But 
I  love  the  old  city,  though  I  wish  that,  in  many 
things,  I  had  the  power  to  reform  her.  She  has 
many  historical  landmarks,  and  is  full  of  interesting 


76  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

reminiscences.  Quebec,  moreover,  was  the  theatre  upon 
which  those  great  Apostles,  who  sought  to  create 
French  empire  on  this  continent,  labored,  and  if  they 
failed,  their  successors  have  maintained  a  supremacy 
under  foreign  rule,  which  if  it  had  been  foreseen  a  hun- 
dred years  ago,  would  have  shocked  her  conquerors. 
These  influences  have  entrenched  themselves  in  their 
own  little  province,  and  are  preparing  the  machinery  of 
a  propagandism  which  nobody  understands,  and  against 
which  nobody  provides,  but  which  will  make  itself  felt 
by-and-bye,  in  the  controversies  of  the  New  World. 
These  people  have  not  learned  the  lessons  of  liberty, 
and  they  are  dangerous  to  her ;  but,  beyond  their  own 
small  jurisdiction,  their  methods  are  not  understood, 
and  no  one  is  preparing  to  withstand  their  aggressions 
when  the  time  comes.  It  seems  a  small  affair  by  the 
light  of  the  moment;  but  a  great  contest  is  brewing 
between  those  who  love  freedom  and  those  who  have 
been  its  traditional  enemies ;  and  Englishmen  will  re- 
pent in  sack-cloth  and  ashes  the  hostile  forces  they 
have  been  unconsciously  fostering,  in  territories  they 
once  wrenched  from  old  France  in  America." 

"  You  surprise  me,"  said  Eobert,  with  deep  interest. 

"  It  is  a  long,  sad  story,"  added  De  Luynes,  slowly  ; 
"  but  if  it  interests  you,  we  will  talk  more  about  it  by- 
and-bye." 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

"ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL." 

IT  was  a  beautiful  Sunday  morning  as  they  neared 
the  lovely  harbor  of  Queenstown,  and  dropped  anchor 
to  await  the  arrival  of  the  Saturday  night's  mails  and 
the  passengers  from  London.  The  Professor,  bright 
and  cheery,  was  the  first  to  put  foot  upon  the  ship,  and 
was  hilariously  welcomed  by  the  friends  who  had  ex- 
pected him.  Tom  was  eager  for  news  from  home. 
But,  beyond  a  private,  and  it  seemed  reassuring,  word 
to  Kobert,  the  Professor  had  nothing  to  tell. 

"  I  am  afraid  Tom  was  hoping  ,you  would  not  come," 
said  Fred  Cuthbert  in  a  low  tone ;  "  his  attentions  to 
us  all  have  been  so  extravagantly  general  that  you 
might  not  approve." 

"  What  a  tease  you  are,  Fred,"  said  Holt,  who  had 
caught  enough  to  guess  at  the  drift ;  "  Is  nobody  to 
escape  you  ?  " 

"  At  any  rate,  you  are  safe  till  we  reach  deep  water," 
was  the  reply. 

The  Professor  laughingly  observed  that  Fred  was  a 
better  fellow  than  he  wanted  the  world  to  believe.  And 
Tom  advised  his  father  to  reserve  his  judgment  till  he 
had  experience  of  the  young  man's  life  on  the  "  ocean 
wave." 

Miss  Roberts  offered  to  champion  him  at  any  time, 
when  he  found  himself  hard  pressed  by  his  rough  com- 


78  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

panions,  and  Fred  declared  that  with  such  a  prospect, 
he  should  invite  assaults  from  all  the  ill-conditioned 
passengers. 

"  Oh !  the  blarney  stone ! "  cried  Miss  Roberts ;  "  Did 
you  find  it  this  morning,  or  have  you  been  here  be- 
fore?" 

"  I  am  glad  to  say  I  never  embraced  it,"  replied  Fred, 
"  and  I  am  sure  no  Irishman  whose  privilege  it  is  to 
cross  with  us  will  ever  kiss  it  again." 

"  What  a  national  revulsion,"  said  Lord  Bolton. 
"  Pray,  Fred,  could  you  trace  it  to  its  cause  ?  " 

"  I  might,  if  my  station  were  such  that  nobody  would 
dare  resent  what  I  say,"  was  the  retort. 

"Oh,  you  are  ambitious  for  the  cap  and  bells," 
laughingly  observed  his  Lordship. 

"  Mr.  Cuthbert,  come  with  me,"  said  Miss  Winthrop. 

"  Can  you  find  me  a  harbor  of  refuge  near  by  ?  "  re- 
joined Fred,  as  he  obeyed  the  summons  and  sauntered 
down  the  deck  by  her  side. 

Col.  Lyons,  who  was  a  sailor,  pointed  out  the  objects 
of  interest,  as  the  Alaric  steamed  away  through  the 
placid  waters,  and,  as  every  one  on  his  last  look  is  ob- 
servant, there  were  few  talkers  and  the  conversation 
flagged. 

Lord  Bolton  was  the  exception ;  his  accustomed 
reticence  in  the  society  of  ladies  had  given  way  to  a 
strain  of  loquacious  mirth,  which  surprised  his  friends 
and  amused  everybody,  and  he  was  so  persistently  at 
Miss  Roberts's  side,  that  she  seemed  at  first  disposed  to 
avoid  him.  "  But  the  besieged  must  always  surrender," 
Fred  was  saying  to  Miss  Winthrop,  "  if  he  is  short  of 
rations,  and  the  enemy  is  equipped  with  titles  and  no 
end  of  thousands  a  year." 


"ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL."    79 

"  Is  she  not  a  lovely  brunette  of  the  Southern  type, 
graceful  as  a  queen  and  beautiful  as  a  houri?  I  have 
been  struck  by  the  apparent  gentleness  and  sweetness 
of  her  disposition.  No  wonder  Lord  Bolton  is  charmed. 
If  he  win\her,  it  must  be  through  her  heart.  If  she 
is  mercenary  I  shall  despair  of  my  sex,  and  never  at- 
tempt to  read  character  again.  If  I  were  a  man,  I 
should  fall  in  love  with  that  girl  myself,"  said  the 
young  lady. 

"  Oh,  then  there  would  be  bloodshed  between  you 
and  my  Lord,"  remarked  her  companion.  "  He  was 
never  in  love  in  his  life,  and  he  won't  be  easy  to  tame." 

"How  absurd,"  she  rejoined.  "I  see  nothing  to 
justify  these  jokes." 

"  Oh,  if  you  don't  see,"  said  Fred,  "  with  all  your 
experience,— 

"Have  a  care  !"  she  said,  "Mr.  Cynic!  " 

"  Then,  of  course,  I  am  blind ! "  he  added,  without 
heeding  the  interruption. 

"Do  you  like  Lord  Bolton? "  she  asked  with  a  young 
girl's  directness. 

"  Do  you  think  that  it  is  impossible  because  I  some- 
times laugh  at  his  expense  ?  " 

"  Please  answer  my  question,"  she  persisted. 

" Miss  Winthrop,"  he  said,  with  a  drawl;  "do  you 
think  a  cockney  could  be  sensible,  or  a  cynic  serious  ? 
I  am  going  to  surprise  you.  I  do  more  than  like  Lord 
Bolton,  I  love  him.  He  is  never  the  great  Lord,  but 
always  the  dear  friend,  to  me.  Sometimes  I  mimic  his 
aristocratic  lisp,  and  laugh  at  his  eccentric  idiosyn- 
crasies, because  it  suits  my  humor,  and  this  as  often 
before  his  face  as  behind  his  back.  I  really  believe  it 
amuses  him  more  than  others.  He  is  a  great  Lord, 


80  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

but  lie  is  a  good  man.  He  lias  a  clumsy  manner  but  a 
kind  heart.  And  what  to  him  are  the  little  graces 
which  he  might  display  in  common  with  his  tailor? 
As  he  grows  older,  higher  hereditary  honors  will  fall  to 
him,  and  he  will  become  a  great  man  in  England.  He 
will  be  better  known  for  his  benevolence  than  for  his 
exalted  honors;  and  to  enjoy  his  friendship  will  be 
abundant  pleasure  for  those  who  deserve  it.  His  love 
for  man  or  woman  will  be  a  precious  gift.  He  is  ear- 
nest and  honest  before  all  things ;  Miss  Roberts  must 
not  trifle  with  him." 

"  I  believe  every  word  you  say,"  said  Miss  Winthrop. 
"I  knew  you  were  not  really  a  cynic  all  the  time." 

Lord  Bolton  and  Miss  Roberts  approached.  "We 
came  to  remind  you  of  something  you  had  forgotten, 
Fred,"  he  said  gaily. 

"What?     My  Lord!" 

"  Tour  prescriptions  ;  you  need  not  have  gone  to  Epps 
of  Piccadilly,  if  you  had  known  what  antidotes  were  to 
be  found  here." 

"  Tour  cheerful  face  saved  me,"  replied  Fred,  with  a 
polite  bow  to  Miss  Eoberts.  "As  a  faithful  retainer,  I 
must  give  precedence  to  you." 

"Are  you  not  a  good  sailor?  "  asked  Miss  Winthrop. 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know,"  he  answered  "  everybody  told 
me  of  the  terrible  ordeal,  and  everybody  gave  me  a 
remedy ;  of  course  I  imparted  my  secret  to  my  friends, 
and  they  became  cognizant  of  my  tremors  when  I  first 
came  on  board ;  but  I  have  not  thought  of  them  since. 
His  Lordship's  unusual  spirits  remind  me  I  can  think 
of  something  that  would  give  him  a  more  terrible  shock 
than  I  dreaded.  It  seems  to  me  Miss  Eoberts  is  re- 
served and  coy.  Miss  Winthrop,  do  you  think  it  possi- 


"ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL."     81 

ble  for  an  American  girl  to  be  indifferent  to  a  great 
Lord  who  loves  her?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  I  should  think  so  of  any  girl  who  did 
not  reciprocate  his  affection.  Why  do  you  distin- 
guish American  girls?  Are  they  more  wicked  than 
others?" 

"  I  am  afraid  I  should  have  said,  yes,  a  month  ago, 
as  to  this  particular  sin ;  but  I  don't  believe  it  now," 
said  Fred.  Cuthbert.  "  We  live  to  learn " 

They  saw  Robert  and  Mme.  De  Luynes  promenading 
the  deck,  and  Miss  Winthrop  motioned  Tom  to  join  her. 

"She  is  a  charming  person,"  remarked  Miss  Win- 
throp. 

"  I  did  not  observe  her  much,"  said  Tom,  "  but  Rob- 
ert says  she  is  most  interesting  and  accomplished." 

"  Her  husband  is  a  dry  stick,"  added  Fred,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders. 

"Not  at  all,"  Tom  replied.  "Robert  says  he  is  a 
man  of  brilliant  parts.  At  first  Robert  thought  he  had 
a  dissolute  look,  though  he  is  handsome  and  distingue, 
but  he  says  he  has  met  no  man  on  board  ship  from 
whom  we  are  likely  to  derive  so  much  useful  informa- 
tion. He  was  educated  in  Paris,  and  I  believe  he 
sowed  his  wild  oats  there.  At  any  rate,  in  his  young 
days,  he  won  his  beautiful  wife  in  that  fashionable 
city ;  but  Robert  says  he  has  the  whole  history  of 
America  at  his  tongue's  end  and  that  we  may  expect 
pleasure  from  intercourse  with  him." 

"I  dare  say  he  will  be  my  fate,"  said  Fred,  "but 
Robert  seems  to  prefer  Madame." 

"You  don't  think  he  expects  to  marry  her,"  rejoined 
Tom,  in  tones  of  disgust. 

"Not  in  this  world,"  remarked  Fred. 


82  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

"  Well,  in  the  next  world,  they  neither  marry  nor  are 
given  in  marriage,"  said  Miss  Winthrop. 

"So  you  have  been  reading  up  that  subject,  my 
young  friend,"  replied  the  cynic.  "That  rule  was 
needed  to  meet  the  case  of  the  seven  brothers  in  the 
old  days ;  but  now  it  would  be  more  imperative  under 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  divorce  courts." 

"As  we  are  all  unmarried,"  said  Tom,  "  let  us  leave 
these  things  to  the  benedicts ! "  and  he  led  Miss  "Win- 
throp to  a  seat  which  his  father  had  reserved  for  her. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  the  Professor,  "I  feel  like  a 
school-boy  off  for  his  holidays?  No  letters,  no  tele- 
grams for  ten  days." 

"  It  might  be  nine,"  remarked  Tom. 

"  Or  eight,"  said  Miss  Winthrop  ;  "  I  believe  the 
Alaska  has  made  the  voyage  in  seven  days,  some  odd 
hours." 

"  It  has  been,  and  will  be  greatly  shortened,"  said 
the  Professor.  "  There  is  already  direct  railway  com- 
munication to  Halifax,  and  it  is  proposed  to  traverse 
Newfoundland  by  rail.  Four  to  five  days  will  be  the 
extent  of  the  ocean  trip  before  we  are  much  older." 

"  I  should  rather  go  all  the  way  by  sea,"  said  Miss 
Winthrop.  "It  is  such  a  trouble  to  change." 

"  Oh,  yes,  if  you  are  a  good  sailor,"  interposed  Dr. 
Elmwood.  "  But  if  you  were  ill,  from  the  moment  you 
took  the  ship  till  you  left  it,  I  think  you  would  tolerate 
the  proposed  new  route.  Five  days  instead  of  ten 
would  be  a  relief  incalculable  to  a  bad  sailor." 

Robert  was  busy  in  conversation  with  Madame  De 
Luynes.  She  was  telling  him  that  she  was  born  in  a 
Connecticut  village,  had  been  educated  in  Paris,  and,  on 
the  Continent  and  while  still  a  school-girl,  had  met  her 


LITTLE  ETHEL  AS  CARLOTTA  LEFT  HER. 


"Dear  old  Quebec,"  she  continued,  musingly,  «    *    *    "I  left  my  baby,  a  dear 
tittle  girl  of  two  years,  there."— Page  83. 


"ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A   MARRIAGE  BELL."   83 

husband  in  Paris  and  married  him,  and  had  become  a 
resident  of  Quebec.  She  loved  the  old  city.  There 
was  a  respectable  English  contingent  there,  but  the 
people  were  chiefly  French,  and  they  had  been  devoted 
to  her,  as  they  always  were  to  an  American  speaking 
their  language.  She  loved  the  French  people.  She 
was  a  protestaut,  but  they  made  her  faith  no  reproach 
to  her,  as  they  would  to  a  pervert  from  their  own  faith ; 
and  she  thought  the  melange  of  French  and  English  in 
society  charming.  The  brusquerie  of  the  English  man- 
ners was  softened  by  the  politesse  of  the  French,  and 
gave  an  inimitable  charm  to  the  society  of  the  old 
capital.  She  hoped  to  welcome  him  there,  and,  that 
as  he  had  so  much  impressed  her  husband,  he  would 
accept  the  hospitalities  of  their  house  when  he  came  to 
Canada. 

Robert  was  not  slow  to  reciprocate  these  kind  senti- 
ments, and  declared  that  he  had  been  charmed  by  her 
husband's  knowledge  of  affairs,  his  sound  political 
views,  and  the  ready  tact  with  which  he  expressed 
them. 

She  remarked  that  her  husband  had  not  been  a  fortu- 
nate politician,  as  he  would  have  been  in  Connecticut 
or  in  Paris ;  for  Lower  Canada  was  peculiar,  and  no- 
body came  to  distinction  without  the  confidence  of  the 
priests.  "  Dear  old  Quebec,"  she  continued,  musingly, 
"  I  never  longed  to  see  the  place  so  much  as  I  do  now. 
I  left  my  baby,  a  dear  little  girl  of  two  years  there. 
She  is  well,  and  with  a  faithful  old  nurse  in  a  quiet  vil- 
lage by  the  sea ;  but  of  late  I  have  rarely  heard  of  her. 
I  have  worried  incessantly  about  this.  We  ought  not 
to  have  left  the  child ;  and  we  are  returning  a  month 
before  my  husband  was  ready  to  come.  He  is  not 


84  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

alarmed,  of  course ;  lie  is  a  man,  and  says  I  am  cherish- 
ing imaginary  fears ;  but  I  cannot  rest  until  I  see  my 
child.  Are  you  married,  Mr.  Holt  ? "  she  asked  ab- 
ruptly. 

Robert  answered  "No."  And  he  thought  tenderly 
of  the  little  girl  he,  too,  had  left  behind.  Should  he  see 
her  again  ?  Would  she  become  an  influence  in  his  life, 
this  little  waif  who  had  drifted  to  him  ? 

"  Oh,  I  thought  if  you  had  children,"  Mme.  De  Luynes 
remarked,  "  you  might  feel  an  interest  in  my  story." 

Robert  avowed  his  interest,  but  said  nothing  of  the 
child  he  was  himself  interested  in,  and  they  joined  the 
others  who  were  basking  in  the  warm  rays  of  the  set- 
ting sun,  by  the  door  of  the  captain's  cabin. 

Capt.  Graham  was  a  short,  stout  man,  with  a  ruddy 
sunburnt  face,  and  a  cheery,  kind  expression.  "  Ladies," 
he  said,  with  the  rich  brogue  which  comes  only  from 
the  north  of  the  Tweed,  "  we  are  fortunate  to  have  a 
cloudless  sky,  and  the  sunset  is  peerless.  You  could 
not  match  it  on  land.  Many  travellers  have  tried,  but 
always  in  vain,  to  portray  the  beauties  of  a  brilliant 
sunset  at  sea." 

"But  there  are  clouds,"  interposed  Miss  Roberts; 
"and  oh,  how  magnificent!" 

"They  are  only  the  illuminated  background  of  this 
great  picture,"  remarked  De  Luynes  absently.  "  What 
a  wealth  of  golden  lights  and  fleecy  shades  enlivens  the 
heavenly  canvas ! " 

"  What  animated  coloring ! "  said  one.  "  And  what 
blending !  "  "  And  what  variegations ! "  said  the  others. 
And  they  stood  there  enraptured  with  the  scene  till  the 
sun  went  down,  and  the  twilight  deepened  into  night. 

In  the  old  days,  when  the  passenger  list  was  smaller, 


"ALL   WEXT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL."     85 

everybody  came  to  know  everybody  else,  during  the 
passage,  and  indeed,  the  captain,  as  head  of  the  ship's 
family,  was  accustomed  to  present  the  notables  to  each 
other,  early  in  the  voyage.  But  modern  passengers 
herd  in  such  numbers  on  the  great  ships,  that,  except 
in  small  circles,  they  generally  remain  indifferent 
strangers  to  their  fellows  ;  and  this  isolation  amid  a 
crowd  promotes  a  warmer  sympathy  in  the  narrow 
circle  of  one's  friends.  The  resources  of  each  are  un- 
consciously taxed  for  the  general  amusement.  If  a 
fourth  is  wanted  at  whist  you  are  ready  for  the  sac- 
rifice, though  you  neither  love  the  game,  nor  understand 
it ;  and  if  you  are  asked  to  sing,  you  seat  yourself  at 
the  piano,  without  any  of  the  coyness  which  might  be 
excused  in  a  country  house  ashore. 

There  was  a  pretty  little  parlor,  just  off  the  saloon, 
which  Lord  Bolton  and  his  friends  had  already  appro- 
priated. There  were  an  organ,  a  harp,  and  a  guitar, 
with  soiled  sheets  of  music ;  a  church  hymnal  and  the 
Moody  and  Sankey  hymns,  waiting  to  be  made  use  of ; 
and  De  Luynes,  seating  himself  at  the  organ,  called  his 
wife,  saying,  "  Come,  Carlotta,  let  us  set  these  young 
people  an  example."  He  ran  his  fingers  along  the  keys 
as  if  testing  the  qualities  of  the  instrument,  and  then 
with  the  self-absorbed  air  of  an  enthusiast  brought 
forth  strains  so  pathetic  and  full  of  harmony  that  one 
wondered  at  the  skill  that  could  summon  at  will  such 
melodies. 

"  It  is  Sunday  night,  Maurice,"  said  his  wife  gently. 
"  There  may  be  those  who  prefer  a  hymn  to  your  weird 
improvisations." 

"  To  me,  those  chords  were  beautiful,"  he  said.  "  I 
expect  some  day  to  hear  them  with  you,  in  heaven." 


86  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

The  instrument  gave  out  "The  sweet  by-and-bye," 
with  exquisite  variations,  and  the  De  Luynes  accom- 
panied the  music  with  their  fine  voices  through  a  sweet 
rendering  of  the  words.  By  this  time,  the  room  and 
the  approaches  were  crowded  with  passengers,  whom 
the  music  had  attracted,  but  De  Luynes  was  lost  to  all 
but  the  strains  he  was  producing.  As  these  died  away 
and  they  commenced  to  sing  "  Nearer  my  God  to  Thee," 
the  strains  were  taken  up  by  the  throng,  and  carried 
along  the  ship  till  it  seemed  that  the  inspiration  was 
general,  and  as  if  a  thousand  voices  were  singing  with 
a  marvellous  harmony  the  touching  and  beautiful 
hymn.  "Women  wept  and  strong  men  sought  to  hide 
their  emotion. 

After  a  little,  De  Luynes  arose  composedly  and  said, 
"  We  Catholics  do  not  practise  these  hymns  as  a  religi- 
ous duty ;  but  I  love  to  sing  them  with  my  wife,  and 
sometimes  in  this  way  we  entertain  our  neighbors." 
Politely  excusing  themselves,  M.  and  Mme.  De  Luynes 
retired. 

"They  are  charming  people,"  said  the  Professor,  a 
remark  which  was  warmly  seconded  by  Dr.  Elmwood. 

"  I  knew  De  Luynes'  father,"  said  Col.  Lyons, "  when 
I  was  in  Canada  some  years  ago.  He  was  a  clever 
man,  and  at  one  time,  wielded  great  political  power,  but 
he  was  not  in  accord  with  the  clergy  on  the  question 
of  the  tithes  and  some  other  things,  and,  notwithstand-* 
ing  his  lineage  and  his  wealth,  his  high  character  and  the 
distinguished  services  he  had  rendered  the  people,  his 
public  life  was  soon  at  an  end.  Maurice  was  then  in 
France  pursuing  his  studies,  but  I  always  heard  him 
spoken  of  as  a  young  man  of  great  promise  ;  it  is  said 
he  has  cultivated  his  father's  independence  and  is  not 


"ALL  WENT  MERRY  AS  A  MARRIAGE  BELL."     87 

a  favorite  with  the  church,  which  means  a  good  deal  in 
the  way  of  trouble  for  him  in  Canada,  if  he  looks  to 
politics  as  an  occupation." 

"  How  sadly  one  may  misjudge  at  first,"  said  Tom. 
"  We  all  looked  askance  at  him,  and  traced  his  lovely 
wife's  melancholy  to  his  neglect  and  persecution.  Now 
we  find  him  a  model  domestic  man,  of  rare  acquire- 
ments and  virtues." 

"  "We  certainly  did  misjudge  them,"  remarked  Eobert. 
"  Even  the  wife's  melancholy  has  found  a  solution  which 
fully  exonerates  the  husband,  and  accounts  in  the  most 
positive  way  for  her  nervous  and  anxious  manner." 

"  Let  us  give  up  reading  character  and  take  to  read- 
ing books,"  said  Fred. 

"  You  may  do  both  things  profitably,  by  devoting  to 
each  a  little  care,"  interpolated  the  Professor;  "half 
the  misunderstandings  of  life  are  precipitated  by  jump- 
ing to  conclusions." 

"  It  is  a  rule  of  polite  society  to  avoid  hurting  the 
feelings  of  others,"  said  Col.  Lyons,  "  and  it  would  be 
as  good  a  rule,  perhaps,  to  avoid  speaking  against 
them." 

"  Yes,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood,  "  or  you  might  copy  the 
newspapers  and  only  speak  ill  of  your  neighbors,  when 
the  public  interest  demands  it." 

"  That  would  be  a  pressing  alternative,"  said  Fred ; 
"  the  sea  is  rough,"  he  added,  looking  out,  "  and  the 
ship  is  lurching.  Let  us  woo  tired  nature's  sweet 
restorer " 


CHAPTEE  X. 

"COMING  INTO  THE  TEACK  or  A  STORM." 

THE  orthodox  occupation  of  a  passenger  at  sea  is 
killing  time.  At  first  this  is  easy,  for  everything  is 
new  and  fresh  at  the  outset ;  but  there  is  no  "  infinite 
variety  "  at  one's  service.  He  treads  the  same  measure 
day  after  day,  and  by-and-bye  the  time  "  hangs  heavy 
on  his  hands."  He  begins  to  count  the  days,  and  anon, 
the  hours.  He  has  seen  the  whale  and  the  porpoise, 
and  perhaps,  the  iceberg.  He  has  watched  the  ship 
speed  in  her  spiritless  race,  from  day  to  day,  against 
her  own  time.  The  Captain  on  the  bridge  and  the 
sailors  in  the  rigging  cease  to  amuse  him.  All  this, 
unless  he  can  enjoy  good  books,  or  that  better  resource 
at  sea,  good  company. 

Our  own  travellers  were  among  the  fortunate  few. 
They  were  good  sailors,  good  talkers,  and  good  listen- 
ers ;  and  they  were,  moreover,  interested  in  each  other. 
Their  first  day  had  been  a  delightful  experience  to 
each,  and  even  at  this  early  hour  if  a  requisition  had 
been  circulated  to  prolong  the  voyage,  they  would  all 
(if  we  except  Madame  De  Luynes  and  Dr.  Elmwood), 
have  signed  it. 

All  were  early  astir  on  that  bright  Monday  morning ; 
they  had  been  refreshed  and  were  happy ;  and  their 
greetings  were  as  cheery  and  affectionate  as  if  they 


"  COMING  INTO  THE  TRACK  OF  A  STORM."       89 

had  known  each  other  for  years.  The  decks  and  saloons 
were  less  crowded  than  they  were  yesterday,  for  many 
had  yielded  to  the  discomforts  of  the  sea.  And  the 
jolly  Captain,  who  knew  the  misfortune  had  its  limits, 
was  willing  to  have  his  joke  about  it. 

"  Your  sympathy  with  sea-sickness  does  you  credit, 
ladies,"  he  said,  "  but  sea-sickness  is  not  always  an  un- 
mixed evil.  I  was  sailing  from  New  York  once  in  Octo- 
ber with  a  long  passenger  list ;  room  was  a  sacred  trust 
everywhere.  Two  rather  distinguished  New  York  ladies, 
not  acquainted  with  each  other,  had  been  placed  in  my 
charge  for  the  voyage.  Their  husbands  had  been  de- 
tained at  the  last  moment,  but  were  to  follow  them  next 
month.  Neither  of  the  ladies  knew  me.  They  had 
each  two  children,  and  they  all  had  seats  at  my  left,  or 
rather,  they  should  have  had ;  but,  as  it  turned  out,  the 
steward  had  only  reserved  two  seats  instead  of  four. 
As  we  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  late  in  the  afternoon, 
I  was  engaged,  and  asked  a  friend  to  take  my  place  at 
the  dinner-table.  He  was  a  good  lawyer,  but  he  didn't 
know  the  difference  between  a  jib-boom  and  a  rudder. 
The  day  was  beautiful,  and  nobody  who  enjoyed  it 
could  have  thought  there  was  anything  but  happiness 
in  store.  The  ladies  came  to  the  table  without  the 
children,  and  each  claimed  the  two  seats.  They  spoke 
with  the  frigid  politeness  of  people  who  did  not  intend 
to  yield  an  inch.  'These  seats  belong  to  my  little 
girl  and  boy,'  said  Number  One.  '  You  are  mistaken, 
madame,  they  were  reserved  for  my  two  children,'  said 
Number  Two.  '  The  captain  shall  decide  between  us,' 
they  both  said,  appealing  to  my  friend.  He  was,  how- 
ever, 'wise  in  his  generation,'  and,  without  nautical 
skill,  settled  a  delicate  nautical  matter. 


90  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

" '  Ladies,'  he  said,  '  Rome  was  not  built  in  a  day ;  it 
is  a  rule  of  this  service  to  take  twenty-four  hours  for 
consideration,  when  embarrassing  questions  are  sub- 
mitted. It  has  happened  that  in  this  way  such  ques- 
tions settled  themselves.'  Each,  confident  of  victory, 
was  satisfied.  Would  you  believe  it,  those  ladies  were 
not  at  the  table  again  till  we  sighted  land,  ten  days 
afterwards.  So  you  see,  le  mal  de  mer  is  not  an  un- 
mixed evil." 

"  You  are  cruel,  captain,"  said  the  ladies. 

"I  am  practical,  ladies,"  he  replied,  with  a  loud 
laugh,  which  bespoke  the  measure  of  his  good  humor. 

"Do  you  like  to  answer  questions,  captain?"  said 
Miss  Roberts. 

"  Yes,  when  I  know  how,"  he  rejoined. 

"  I  have  heard  that  some  captains  regard  curiosity 
with  ill-favor." 

"  "Well,  yes,  and  no,"  he  said.  "  It  depends  upon  the 
man  and  the  circumstances.  But  if  we  are  crusty  we 
sometimes  get  the  worst  of  it.  The  commodore  of  our 
line,  in  the  midst  of  a  storm,  was  asked  by  a  lady  some 
simple  question.  'Do  you  take  me  for  the  steward, 
Madame  ? '  he  said  gruffly.  *  I  mistook  you  for  a  gen- 
tleman, sir,'  was  the  quiet  reply." 

The  day  was  beautiful  but  uneventful  to  the  ordinary 
passenger,  and,  unheeded  by  our  friends,  some  of  whom 
discussed  books,  finance,  and  politics,  according  to  their 
tastes;  others  were  engaged  in  gentler  and  perhaps 
more  engrossing  studies. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  sought  to  shield  their  young 
charge  from  the  too  pronounced  attentions  of  Lord 
Bolton,  who  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the  rest  of  the 
party,  and  could  not  understand  why  he  should  be 


"  COMING   INTO    THE   TRACK  OF  A  STORM."      91 

shunned.  He  had  even  complained  to  Mr.  Roberts, 
and  protested  his  sincerity ;  but  that  gentleman  had 
only  met  him  with  mysterious  and  conventional  as- 
surances. Finally,  he  told  him  frankly,  that  his  sister 
had  a  high  sense  of  the  honor  he  intended  her,  but  that 
he  would  explain  later  a  reason  why  she  could  only  re- 
ceive him  on  the  footing  of  a  friend,  and  that  there 
must  be  no  thought  of  any  more  serious  relations. 

His  Lordship  had  accepted  the  situation,  and  the 
young  lady  was  once  more  cheerful  and  reassured. 

Tom  and  Miss  Winthrop  were  still  engaged  in  a 
sort  of  old-fashioned  flirtation,  which  did  not  threaten 
to  be  serious,  and  seemed  to  include  Fred  Cuthbert 
in  their  confidence.  The  De  Luynes  and  Eobert  were 
inseparable,  and  the  lively  and  sparkling  conversa- 
tion of  these  interesting  and  accomplished  people  was 
a  treat  to  the  Professor  and  to  Dr.  Elmwood.  The 
captain,  as  an  old  friend  of  Col.  Lyons,  rather  mon- 
opolized that  gentleman,  and  so  all  were  delightfully 
occupied,  and  the  time  sped  and  they  did  not  heed 
it  till  another  day  had  been  reeled  off  their  voyage. 

That  night  there  was  heavy  weather,  and  a  rougher 
sea,  and  an  old  sailor  said  they  were  coming  into  the 
track  of  a  storm. 

The  next  morning  at  breakfast  the  tables  were 
ornamented  with  the  traditional  "racks."  The  passen- 
gers were  thinly  represented  in  the  saloon,  and  these 
seemed  serious  and  apprehensive ;  but,  though  the 
wind  was  growing  fresher,  and  the  sea  boiled  with  agita- 
tion, the  sky  was  clear  and  the  sun  was  bright.  There 
were  but  few  ladies  visible,  and  these  threaded  their 
unaccustomed  way  with  difficulty  in  the  ship's  uncer- 
tain motion.  The  dishes  rattled,  the  Alaric  groaned, 


92  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

and  now  and  then  as  the  vessel  plunged,  some  luck- 
less promenader  was  caught,  and  hurled  against  chairs 
and  tables  to  the  opposite  corner.  At  last,  the  general 
gloom  was  lifted  and  a  hearty  laugh  ran  "along  the 
line  "  while  the  victims  looked  silly  and  crestfallen. 

Our  travellers  were  on  deck,  clinging  to  the  ropes 
and  rails,  with  supreme  indifference  to  their  sufferings. 
Poor  Madame  De  Luynes  had  not  reported,  though 
Maurice  said  she  was  not  ill,  but  only  a  little  dis- 
quieted. The  other  ladies  were  with  difficulty  dissuaded 
from  going  at  once  in  search  of  her,  but  her  hus- 
band thought  she  would  be  better  if  left  to  such  re- 
pose as,  in  the  circumstances,  was  possible.  He  prom- 
ised to  bring  her  to  them  as  good  as  new,  in  an  hour  or 
two. 

The  Captain  had  just  left  the  bridge  and  was  making 
cautiously  for  his  cabin,  and  the  young  ladies  began  to 
ply  him  with  jokes  and  questions.  He  was  polite,  but 
stern  and  reserved,  another  man  altogether  than  him 
they  had  left  the  night  before,  full  of  fun  and  anecdote. 
He  was  responsible  for  a  large  property,  and  a  thousand 
lives,  and  the  sea  was  giving  signs  that  troubled  him. 
From  stem  to  stern  the  ship  was  playing  pitch  and  toss 
in  the  liveliest  manner,  and  the  great  waves  were  pound- 
ing her  sides  like  battering-rams,  now  and  then  drench- 
ing her  decks  with  spray.  The  Captain  half  listened 
as  if  he  were  expecting  something,  and  dreaded  it.  Our 
observers  watched  his  anxious  face  and  were  silent. 
Then,  as  the  ship  plunged  her  nose  under  the  waters, 
there  was  a  slight  scraping  sound  like  the  friction  of 
timbers,  and  momently  she  halted  and  trembled; 
women  screamed  and  men  held  their  breath. 

"  Port  your  helm ! "  shouted  an  unknown  voice.   The 


"  COMING  INTO   THE   TRACK  OF  A  STORM."      93 

man  at  the  wheel  obeyed,  and  the  ship  rocked  and 
groaned  under  the  awkward  pressure. 

"  Steady  your  wheel !  "  roared  the  Captain,  rushing 
forward.  The  scraping  was  repeated  tenfold,  and  there 
was  a  terrible  bump !  bump !  bump ! !  as  if  they  were 
rushing  at  full  speed  over  boulders,  and  the  ship  leaped 
above  the  waters  as  if  she  were  being  hurled  out  of  the  sea. 
Men  and  women  were  thrown  indiscriminately  athwart 
the  vessel,  which  seemed  to  hang  hesitatingly  between 
the  air  and  ocean,  and  writhed  and  quivered  as  if  in 
bodily  pain.  The  ship  righted  herself  quickly,  and 
stood  still  during  two  awful  minutes  of  suspense  before 
the  engine  resumed  work. 

"  Look  yonder !  "  shouted  the  first  officer,  pointing 
to  her  wake  behind  the  stern.  The  water  was  black 
with  the  debris,  which  consisted  of  spars  and  timbers 
that  were  leaping  from  the  depths  to  the  surface. 

"  Is  the  danger  past,  Captain  ?  "  inquired  a  passen- 
ger, who  had  recovered  himself,  and  was  eager  for  an 
explanation,  for  which  he  would  have  to  wait. 

"  That  was  a  queer  snag,"  remarked  the  Captain. 

"  "We  ran  into  a  wreck,  sir,"  said  the  first  officer. 

"Its  rebound  was  tremendous  against  the  bottom  of 
the  Alaric"  observed  the  Captain.  "  It  is  a  mercy  we 
are  not  disabled." 

"We  must  examine  her  first,"  was  the  reply. 

The  Captain  explained  to  Lord  Bolton  what  had 
happened,  and  asked  him  to  reassure  his  friends.  Then 
he  proceeded  to  find  out  to  what  extent  the  ship  had 
suffered ;  meantime,  the  usual  word  was  passed  along 
among  those  of  the  crew  and  servants  who  were  likely  to 
encounter  inquisitive  passengers,  to  respond  to  all  ques- 
tions with  the  answer,  "  all  is  right."  The  noble  ship, 


94  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

nevertheless,  continued  to  speed  on  her  usual  course, 
across  the  rough  waters,  and  quiet  and  confidence  were 
slowly  restored. 

"  I  always  feel  that  I  have  taken  my  life  in  my  hands 
when  I  go  to  sea,"  said  Madame  De  Luynes. 

"  Oh,  I  think  that  in  a  computation  of  chances  it 
would  be  found  the  accidents  are  not  in  greater  pro- 
portion at  sea  than  by  other  means  of  travel,"  her  hus- 
band replied.  "  But  the  imagination  has  much  to  do 
with  our  impressions.  Look  at  the  fatalities  by  rail ; 
and  yet,  we  are  so  accustomed  to  that  mode  of  travel, 
that  a  journey  does  not  terrify  us.  "We  take  steamer 
voyages  so  seldom  that  we  do  not  get  used  to  them,  as 
in  the  other  case.  And  yet,  now-a-days,  with  first-class 
ships  there  are  fewer  casualties." 

"Do  you  not  think  we  have  just  escaped  a  great 
calamity  ?  "  inquired  Miss  Winthrop. 

"  Oh,  a  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,"  Fred  Cuthbert 
answered. 

"  How  very  original,"  said  Tom.  "  Why  don't  you 
give  us  something  familiar?" 

"Because  familiarity  breeds  contempt,"  rejoined 
Fred. 

"All  this  is  too  serious  to  make  fun  of,"  mildly  sug- 
gested Robert  Holt.  "  How  fearful  are  the  perils  of 
the  deep !  It  is  not  that  shipwreck  means  death,  or 
that  one  is  afraid  to  die.  But  we  are  surrounded  by 
such  majesty  of  power,  that  our  own  puny  helplessness 
is  made  plainer  to  us.  Where  does  nature  marshal 
more  awful  strength  and  grandeur  than  surround  us 
here  ?  And  yet  there  is  a  relief  to  our  humiliation  in 
the  thought  that  if  the  hand  of  man  cannot  control,  we 
may  utilize  and  enjoy  them.  What  changeful  scenes ! 


"  COMING  INTO  THE  TRACK  OF  A  STORM."      95 

The  quiet  sea  is  a  symbol  of  tranquillity,  but  who  docs 
not  tremble,  as  he  commits  himself  to  the  awful  forces 
of  the  storm  ?  " 

"They  say  drowning  is  a  peaceful  death,"  remarked 
Miss  Roberts  ;  "  but  they  must  be  speaking  of  the  calm 
waters,  and  the  heavenly  view  which  one  beholds, 
yielding  his  life  in  the  watery  depths,  from  which  he 
may  gaze  upward  to  the  broad  heavens  radiant  in  the 
bright  sunshine." 

"  From  battle  and  murder,  and  from  sudden  death, 
good  Lord,  deliver  us,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts. 

"  Amen,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  solemnly. 

"  What  wo  need  is  constant  preparation  for  death," 
interposed  Dr.  Elmwood. 

"  And  these  startling  adventures  are  intended  to  pre- 
pare us,"  said  the  Professor.  "  Let  us  all  thank  God 
for  his  mercies,"  and  there  was  an  acquiescence  of  silent 
meditation  and  prayer,  which  lasted  several  minutes. 
Throughout  the  steamer  the  merciful  deliverance  had 
disposed  many  hearts  to  thankfulness ;  and  for  the  mo- 
ment, at  least,  it  had  awakened  many  to  a  sense  of  the 
uncertainty  of  human  life. 

Prayer  is  not  always  a  sign  of  piety.  A  reverent 
man,  from  a  sense  of  duty,  may  offer  up  petitions 
which  are  formal  and  without  fervor ;  while  the  man 
without  any  sense  of  duty  may  pray  earnestly  for  help, 
when  he  feels  that  he  has  need  and  is  dependent.  We 
put  aside  the  theory  that  the  skeptic  has  no  care,  nor 
wish  for  Divine  aid  ;  not  doubting  that  ho  unconsciously 
leans  on  a  higher  power,  and  that  in  severe  stress  of 
weather  he  would  be  one  of  the  first  to  cry  out,  "  God 
be  merciful ; "  and  so,  we  doubt  not,  great  perils  dispose 
the  human  heart,  good  or  bad,  to  hope  in  God,  and  to 


96  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

turn  to  him.  The  feeling  is  not  the  less  real  because  it 
is  fitful  and  undisciplined.  That  was  a  sudden  con- 
version of  the  thief  on  the  cross ;  yet,  had  he  lived 
he  might  have  back-slidden.  No  doubt,  a  great  and 
common  terror  rouses  the  emotions  of  men,  and  rever- 
ence may  be  religious  and  is  often  emotional.  The 
passengers  of  the  Alaric  were  no  exception ;  they  felt 
that  they  had  an  almost  miraculous  escape,  and  they 
thanked  God  for  it.  It  may  be,  they  would  soon  for- 
get, but  such  gratitude  inspired  them  to  prayer,  and 
brought  them  nearer  Divine  things.  They  had  asked 
Dr.  Elmwood  to  conduct  a  religious  service  in  the  eve- 
ning, and  almost  to  a  man  and  a  woman  the  passengers 
assembled  to  join  with  him.  There  were  appropriate 
devotions  and  a  short  address,  followed  by  a  generous 
collection  for  that  noble  charity,  the  "  Seamen's  Fund." 
The  Professor  had  been  surprised  at  the  large  amount 
collected  ;  and  the  Captain  said  to  him,  with  grateful 
tears,  that  "  the  Americans  are  always  liberal  givers." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES   BURNING   QUESTIONS. 

THE  night  was  dark,  the  sea  was  rough,  and  after 
such  a  day  the  ladies  wisely  retired  early.  The  smok- 
ing-room was  almost  deserted  when  De  Luynes  and 
Robert  took  possession  of  it ;  but  other  friends  dropped 
in,  and  general  conversation  was  in  progress.  Robert 
reminded  Maurice  that  he  had  promised  another  chap- 
ter of  his  observations,  begun  a  few  nights  before. 
CoL  Lyons  knew  how  to  interest  him,  and  asked  if  he 
had  taken  part  in  the  politics  of  his  country. 

"Not  a  distinguished  part,"  he  replied,  "and  yet  I 
am  not  an  indifferent  observer.  Like  my  father,  I 
have  the  misfortune  to  quarrel  with  a  powerful  in- 
fluence among  us  on  some  questions,  and  that  shuts  the 
door  of  public  life  against  me.  I  have  been  in  Parliament 
twice,  but  only  sat  a  few  months  and  was  beaten,  osten- 
sibly because  my  people  were  told  that  I  was  a  Free- 
mason which  was  false ;  though  they  did  not  know 
what  it  meant.  The  real  reason,  however,  was  that  an 
unseen  influence,  which  controlled  them,  was  hostile  to 
me.  In  my  youth,  the  clergy  of  my  district  offered  me 
their  support  in  an  election  then  pending  for  my 
county,  but  by  my  father's  advice  I  refused  it,  because 
it  would  involve  a  bondage  to  which  no  man  of  spirit 
could  submit.  I  bore  my  father's  name  ;  I  had  followed 
his  advice  against  theirs,  and  they  never  forgave 


98  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

me.  I  am  a  Catholic,  and  I  want  to  be  a  true  son  of 
the  Church ;  but  to  me  there  is  a  difference  between 
the  spiritual  and  the  temporal.  I  accept  her  teachings 
as  to  matters  of  faith  and  morals,  but  as  to  the  fran- 
chise, the  taxation,  the  public  administration  of  affairs, 
I  cannot  allow  her  to  dictate  my  course.  Other  young 
men  have  held  the  same  views,  and  have  suffered  the 
same  disabilities.  In  England  and  France  you  see 
gentlemen  of  wealth  preferred  to  positions  of  great 
political  distinction  on  both  sides.  If  you  do  not  obey 
these  men,  there  is  an  iron  heel  always  waiting  to  crush 
you.  Kind  gentlemen  in  religious  and  private  life,  they 
are  intolerant  above  all  things  in  that  which  relates  to 
political  freedom  of  speech  or  action.  Their  influence 
is  enormous  ;  some  of  my  friends  have  often  said  to  me : 
*  Why  not  go  with  the  tide  ?  Why  slam  the  door  of 
preferment  forever  in  your  face?  Your  name,  your 
rank,  the  loyalty  of  your  people,  would  maintain  you 
in  influence  and  honor,  if  you  would  conciliate  this 
hostile  power.'  It,  however,  is  not  always  absolutely 
dominant ;  thanks  to  influences  beyond  its  control,  its 
party  has  been  sometimes  beaten,  though  it  has  formed 
such  strange  alliances  that  its  influence  seems  as  great 
among  its  traditional  enemies  as  among  its  own  people. 
When  the  Liberals  are  in  power,  it  happens,  of  course, 
that  independent  French  Canadians  who  do  not  follow 
it  are  appointed  to  office.  But  this  happens  only  when 
they  cannot  help  it.  When  their  own  party  rules,  they 
are  absolute  masters  of  Lower  Canada ;  and  as  to 
patronage  and  toleration,  they  rule  with  a  rod  of  iron." 
"  I  suppose,"  said  the  Professor,  "  it  is  a  revival  of 
the  old  controversies  we  have  known  so  well  in 
England." 


DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING   QUESTIONS.   09 

"  That  is  not  altogether  true  of  modern  controversy," 
rejoined  Maurice.  "With  you,  the  Catholics,  if  they 
were  British  subjects,  fought  for  emancipation ;  that 
cause  was  plausible  and  just.  But  these  men  fight  for 
power,  for  the  education  of  the  young,  for  the  control 
of  the  franchise,  and  of  the  avenues  which  lead  to  the 
preferment  of  their  own  people.  There  was  once  a 
great  controversy  between  the  Gallicans  and  the  Ultra- 
montanes  in  France.  You  know  its  history,  and  how 
the  former  kept  faith  with  the  nation;  substitute 
Canada  for  France,  and  we  could  work  with  the  Gallican 
Churchmen.  But  these  men  would  practically  set  the 
Church  over  the  State,  giving  to  the  latter  only  the 
power  to  register  the  decrees  of  the  former ;  if  you 
chide  them  for  this,  you  will  be  denounced  from  a 
hundred  pulpits.  The  more  intelligent  revolt  against 
these  extreme  views.  Did  I  say  revolt  ?  But  I  spoke 
of  their  intelligence  ;  they  do  not  want  to  '  kick  against 
the  pricks,'  and  so  they  drift  along  with  the  current, 
and  reap  the  easy  rewards  of  complaisance.  An 
Englishman  thrown  casually  into  our  society  would 
see  little  and  hear  less  of  these  troubles.  He  would 
meet  men  of  letters  and  men  of  the  world  at  the 
head  of  these  influences,  and  they  would  charm  him 
with  their  manners.  The  mailed  hand  is  shown  when 
there  is  resistance  to  be  crushed  among  their  own 
people.  Thirty  years  ago  my  father  and  a  dozen  young 
men  of  culture,  formed  an  association,  founded  a  news- 
paper, and  published  a  political  programme.  Their 
platform  embraced  nearly  all  the  measures  of  reform 
which  have  been  enacted  since  that  time  ;  but  the  pro- 
jectors were  denounced  and  vilified  by  men  who,  ever 
since,  have  maintained  their  hostility,  but  have  taken 


100  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

credit  for  the  work.  But  why  do  I  speak  of  these 
things  to  comparative  strangers  ?  It  is  because  you 
are  Englishmen  of  rank,  statesmen,  soldiers,  and  men 
of  affairs ;  you  are  studying  the  forces  which  in  coming 
years  are  to  guide  opinion  in  the  wide  British  Empire. 
You  have  a  dependency  across  this  water,  weak  it  may 
be  in  numbers,  but  in  territory,  and  in  possibilities, 
large  like  the  United  States,  and  larger  than  Europe 
with  her  family  of  nations.  It  is  a  self-governing 
country,  and  you  do  not  wish  to  interfere  with  it. 
But  you  should  study  the  forces  which  at  least  control 
one-fourth  of  its  population,  forces  which  hold  the 
balance  of  power  and  control  it.  You  will  find  the  bulk 
of  your  own  race  there  careless  and  lukewarm,  singing  to 
the  air  that  Nero  must  have  played,  Apres  moi  le,  Deluge. 
Do  I  appeal  to  strangers  against  my  race  ?  God  forbid ! 
I  love  my  countrymen.  They  belong  to  liberty  and  I 
would  save  them.  I  tell  their  sad  tale  to  strong  men 
who  have  loved  and  upheld  freedom,  not  that  you 
could  coerce  or  restrain  them  ;  but  while  you  might 
do  something  to  open  their  eyes,  you  would  render  a 
service  to  your  own  race,  as  well  as  mine,  in  dispelling 
clouds  that  to-day  may  seem  to  you  no  bigger  than 
a  man's  hand,  but  which  are  fraught  with  storm  and 
peril." 

He  ceased,  his  fine  face  aglow  with  the  excitement  of 
his  earnest  pleadings ;  all  were  in  sympathy  with  his 
burning  words,  and  no  one  seemed  willing  to  break  the 
silence. 

After  De  Luynes  retired  there  was  another  pause, 
which  was  finally  broken  by  Col.  Lyons,  who  observed, 
"  He  is  a  superior  but  disappointed  man.  He  has  med- 
itated upon  his  wrongs  till  they  have  colored  his  life." 


DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING  QUESTIONS.  101 

"  His  is  a  blighted  career,  I  fear,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood, 
"  But  he  seems  to  have  been  a  philosopher,  and  to  have 
acted  as  well  as  he  speaks." 

"It  might  have  been  better  taste  not  to  pronounce 
that  harangue  in  mixed  company,"  observed  a  stranger, 
who  had  been  listening.  "  It  is  calculated  to  wound 
some,  and  to  produce  a  false  impression  upon  others." 

"  Were  the  clergy  to  stand  idly  by,  and  permit  a  lot 
of  hair-brained  youths  to  paralyze  the  Church  and 
sever  British  connection  ?  These  Liberals  are  irreligious 
and  disloyal."  The  speaker  was  a  middle-aged  man  of 
easy  speech  and  dignified  bearing. 

Robert  had  noticed  the  interest  with  which  the  lat- 
ter had  followed  De  Luynes ;  and  his  slightly  foreign 
accent  suggested  that  perhaps  he  was  a  countryman  of 
De  Luynes,  and  probably  a  political  opponent. 

"  Oh,  these  are  charges  easy  to  make,"  he  said. 

"  I  have  not  studied  their  teachings,  but  I  suspect 
they  are  not  new ;  no  doubt,  under  altered  conditions, 
the  same  controversies  are  current  in  Europe  as  well  as 
in  Canada.  But  what  have  these  Liberals  done?" 
"  Nothing,"  said  the  stranger,  "  but  disturb  and  agitate 
the  people." 

"  They  have  held  office,"  persisted  Robert.  "  Did 
they  undermine  society  ?  or  legislate  against  the  inter- 
ests of  the  Church  ?  or  the  Crown  ?  " 

"  They  never  administered  long,  because  their  policy 
was  distrusted  by  our  people." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  this  discussion,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor, "but  I  propose  we  adjourn  it.  Our  time  is 
far  spent,  and  the  night  is  stormy." 

A  wave  broke  over  the  deck,  which  crushed  the  door 
of  the  room  like  a  piece  of  brittle  glass,  and  washed  its 


102  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

way  among  the  unfortunate  occupants,  who  were  de- 
luged for  a  moment  and  thrown  hither  and  thither  with 
the  advancing  and  receding  element.  A  deck  steward 
had  fractured  a  rib  against  one  of  the  arms  of  the  long 
seat,  and  our  friends  had  been  shaken  and  drenched  ; 
but  they  speedily  gathered  themselves  up  and  made  for 
their  berths,  thankful  for  another  almost  miraculous 
escape.  In  the  morning  the  storm  had  abated,  the 
weather  was  bright,  and  the  waters  more  tranquil.  The 
deck  was  alive  with  passengers,  who  seemed  to  have 
forgotten  the  discomforts  of  yesterday,  and  completely 
to  have  regained  their  spirits.  The  spar-deck  was 
lined  with  chairs  which  the  ladies,  covered  with  wraps, 
chiefly  occupied ;  and,  ere  long,  the  amusements  and 
hilarities  were  resumed. 

"  Sail,  ho  !  "  cried  the  lookout  from  forward. 

"  "Where  away  ?  "  said  the  officer  of  the  deck. 

"  Dead  ahead,  sir." 

"Give  me  the  long  glass,  Quartermaster,"  shouted 
the  officer. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir,"  he  responded. 

The  officer  took  the  glass  and  made  an  observa- 
tion. "  Report  to  the  Captain  a  steamer  ahead,  Quar- 
termaster." 

"  Tell  the  officer  to  hoist  an  ensign,  and  set  our 
numbers,  and  when  he  makes  out  the  ship,  report  to 
me,"  said  the  Captain,  turning  again  to  the  passengers 
with  whom  he  had  been  conversing. 

By  this  time  the  passengers  were  on  the  alert ;  trifles 
create  an  excitement  at  sea.  The  vessel  proved  to  be 
the  homeward-bound  steamer  of  the  same  line.  It  was 
a  beautiful  sight  as  the  ships  passed  each  other,  dip- 
ping their  flags  and  saluting.  Everybody  felt  as  if 


DE  LUTNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING   QUESTIONS.    1Q3 

they  had  been  calling  at  a  station  in  mid-ocean  and 
meeting  friends  who  formed  a  link  with  home.  Our 
friends  were  not  the  only  distinguished  people  on 
board,  and  there  had  already  been  pleasant  recognitions 
and  presentations.  The  Governor  of  Connecticut, 
with  his  family,  was  returning  after  a  three  months'  ab- 
sence ;  so  were  a  distinguished  Senator  from  Michigan 
and  the  Attorney-General  of  the  United  States.  Not- 
withstanding the  untowardness  so  far  of  the  voyage, 
the  two  parties  had  mingled  and  grown  intimate.  There 
were  also  half  a  dozen  young  English  travellers  going 
out  to  "  do  "  America,  whom  Lord  Bolton  had  welcomed 
and  presented  to  his  friends.  One  of  them  had  just 
been  saying  to  Miss  Eoberts,  "  If  the  winds  had  been 
propitious  our  journey  would  have  been  awfully  jolly." 

"  Oh,  there  is  plenty  of  time  for  fine  weather,"  was 
her  reply.  " Do  you  remain  long  in  America?  " 

"  Only  the  few  weeks  of  my  vacation,"  he  answered. 
"  All  the  fellows  will  return  then.  To  see  the  States  has 
now  become  the  rage,  and  we  have  just  snatched  a 
chance  open  to  us." 

The  Professor  was  answering  questions  of  the  Ameri- 
can statesman  regarding  Civil  Service  Reform  in  Eng- 
land. Fred  Cuthbert  was  amusing  the  American  ladies 
with  his  drolleries,  and  De  Luynes  was  explaining  to 
the  young  men  the  mysteries  of  such  Canadian  winter 
sports  as  flourish  in  the  deep  snow  with  a  low  ther- 
mometer. Tom  and  Miss  Winthrop  had  ensconced 
themselves  in  a  cosy  corner ;  and  the  others  were  all 
taking  good  care  of  themselves. 

"Oh,  you  may  laugh,"  said  Miss  "Winthrop  ;  "  but  I 
think  enthusiasm  about  Boston  is  a  very  common  and 
very  venial  sin  among  Bostonians.  But  I  shall  leave  you 


104  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

to  study  the  place  for  yourself  and  form  your  own  con- 
clusions. My  own  egotism  will  be  satisfied  by  talking 
a  little  about  myself.  My  poor  mother's  younger 
brother  is  Dr.  Elmwood.  My  father's  only  brother 
is  Horace  Winthrop,  of  Boston.  He  is  a  lawyer  at 
home,  and  a  United  States  Senator  at  Washington  ;  his 
time  is  divided  between  the  two  cities.  My  brother 
George  and  myself  are  his  adopted  children ;  and,"  she 
added,  her  eyes  filling  with  tears,  "we  are  orphans. 
To  you,  who  have  always  felt  the  strength  of  a  father's 
arm,  and  the  warmth  and  tenderness  of  a  mother's  love, 
I  cannot  explain  the  loneliness,  the  isolation,  which  that 
means.  George  was  graduated  at  Harvard.  He  has 
always  lived  with  my  uncle  in  Boston,  and  is  a  lawyer. 
I  have  been  much  with  Dr.  Elmwood,  but  both  uncles 
have  been  our  tender  and  generous  protectors.  I 
know  of  no  love  stronger  than  I  bear  them  both  ;  but  I 
dream  of  a  deeper,  tenderer  feeling  I  might  have  cher- 
ished toward  her  I  could  have  called  my  mother." 

"  I  can  understand  it  all,  Miss  Winthrop,"  said  Tom, 
with  emotion.  "  Experience  is  not  the  only  teacher." 

'*  My  experience  has  been  confined  to  the  want  of  a 
mother's  love,  which  I  have  never  known,"  she  said. 
"  It  is  harder  for  a  girl  than  for  a  boy  to  bear.  It  is 
the  elixir  of  her  life,  transfused  through  her  whole  be- 
ing. With  that  love  she  is  exalted,  beatified ;  her  place 
is  little  lower  than  the  angels ;  without  it  the  most 
cherished  delights  are  cold,  and  the  first  place  in  her 
heart  is  vacant.  But  why  speak  of  what  I  have  lost, 
since  my  life  is  so  full  of  compensations  ?  You  must 
know  my  brother,  and  then  you  will  understand  what 
I  enjoy  in  his  affection." 

"  He  is  no  doubt  a  good  brother,"  said  Tom,  "  but 


DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING  QUESTIONS.   1Q5 

no  one  should  claim  credit  for  loving  you.  I  have 
striven  in  vain  myself  to  avoid  that."  Noticing  that 
she  was  disturbed,  he  added,  "I  will  remember  my 
promise,  but  why  bind  me  to  it?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  by-and-bye,"  rejoined  Miss  "Winthrop, 
"  but  at  present  I  am  to  speak  of  myself.  I  was  sent 
to  Germany  with  an  aunt,  whom  you  did  not  see, 
though  she  was  with  us  in  London.  This  was  my  last 
year,  but  we  had  spent  the  vacation  in  the  British 
Isles,  and  the  time  was  approaching  for  my  return  to 
school,  when  my  uncle  announced  that  I  must  go  home 
with  him,  on  the  plea  that  family  matters  required  it, 
though  he  declined,  for  the  present,  to  explain.  He 
merely  assured  me  that  everyone  was  well,  but  said 
further  confidence  would  be  unwise  till  we  reached 
home.  You  can  fancy  my  disquietude  and  apprehen- 
sion. Here  is  a  secret  which  I  cannot  fathom.  It  was 
of  sufficient  importance  to  call  me  home.  George  does 
not  know  it,  for  I  have  weekly  letters  from  him ;  it  is 
a  mystery.  Is  it  a  romance  ?  Both  my  uncles  are  un- 
married ;  Dr.  Elmwood  buried  his  wife  years  ago,  and 
my  uncle  Horace  is  a  bachelor.  Do  you  think  me  only 
curious  when  I  feel  myself  a  prey  to  these  anxieties  ? 
But  why  seek  to  explain  the  impenetrable  ?  I  long  to 
see  my  brother,  and  other  dear  friends  await  me.  I 
have  a  score  or  so  of  relations  in  the  country  round 
about.  They  may  lack  the  fashionable  refinements, 
but  they  love  me,  and  they  are  very  dear  to  me." 

"Of  course  they  love  you,"  said  Tom.  "I  must 
speak !  Why  do  you  smother  my  words,  when  yoij 
know  my  heart  ?  " 

"  I  must  insist  upon  your  promise,  my  dear  friend," 
she  said  firmly.  "  You  know  nothing  of  me,  and  little 


10G  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

of  my  family,  or  of  my  position  in  life.  You  ought  not 
to  be  compromised :  Is  there  no  middle  course  for  a 
man  and  a  woman  between  indifference  and  infatuation  ? 
Be  just  to  yourself  and  do  not  embarrass  me.  I  am 
only  a  school-girl,  though  I  may  seem  older  than  my 
years.  I  give  you  my  friendship,  and  am  grateful  for 
your  preference.  Let  us  stop  here  and  leave  the  rest 
to  time." 

"  I  am  silenced  but  not  convinced,"  said  Tom,  "  but  I 
will  not  press  you.  Miss  Winthrop,  there  are  voices 
in  life,  which,  if  one  heed  not,  become  silent — such  a 
voice  in  your  inmost  heart,  I  still  hope  is  pleading  for 
me." 

Miss  Winthrop's  emotion  was  apparent,  but  she 
stifled  it. 

"  Let  me  join  my  uncle,"  she  said. 

"  I  only  ask  for  a  hope,  Miss  Roberts,"  said  Lord  Bol- 
ton ;  "  for  permission  to  renew,  at  another  time,  the  suit 
which  you  deny  me  now ;  perhaps  I  have  been  too 
vehement,  but  forgive  me,  for  my  heart  has  inspired 
every  word  I  have  uttered." 

"  What  you  ask  is  impossible,"  replied  Miss  Roberts. 
"Your  attentions  honor  me,  and  I  cannot  say  what 
might  happen,  were  I  in  a  position  to  receive  them,  but 
there  is  an  impassable  gulf  between  us." 

"  Can  you  not  tell  me  this  mystery  ?  Am  I  unworthy 
of  your  confidence  ?"  he  interrupted.  "  It  is  dreadful 
that  you  should  have  a  secret  locked  against  me  in  your 
heart." 

"  My  secret  belongs  to  another.  If  it  were  mine  to 
tell,  it  should  be  yours  ;  and  in  that  case  you  would  not 
esteem  me  less,  but  you  would  pity  me  more." 

Tom  and  Miss  Winthrop  caught  only  these  words  as 


DE  LUYNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING   QUESTIONS.  1QJ 

they  strolled  along,  and  the  voices  died  away  in  the  dis- 
tance. "  How  he  loves  her,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  look- 
ing with  tearful  eyes  into  Tom's  face.  "  She  has  re- 
fused him.  Does  she  love  him  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  after  a  pause. 

"What  can  be  her  secret?  "  asked  Tom.  "She  spoke 
of  a  gulf  that  separates  them  ;  I  wonder  if  she  would 
really  cross  it,  if  her  own  inclinations  were  alone  con- 
sulted." 

"  I  think  so,"  replied  Miss  Winthrop  ;  "  and  yet  she 
did  not  plead  for  delay." 

"  Would  there  have  been  hope  in  that  ?  "  Tom  asked. 
"  What  a  strange  coincidence  !  "  she  continued,  but  her 
uncle  was  waiting  for  her,  and  Tom  politely  took  his 
leave.  He  found  De  Luynes,  with  other  gentlemen,  in 
earnest  conversation.  He  was  in  no  mood  to  be  inter- 
ested, but  he  could  not  refuse  to  hear. 

"  I  have  always  believed,"  said  Mr.  Burrows,  the 
Attorney-General,  "  that  the  destiny  of  your  country  is 
annexation  to  mine." 

"  She  would  thus  become  part  of  a  glorious  Repub- 
lic," observed  De  Luynes,  "  and  it  may  be  that  such  a 
change  is  in  store  for  us.  Might  not  the  interests  of 
the  Continent  be  better  served  if  Canada  grew  to  be  a 
great  and  friendly  neighbor?  No  doubt  annexation 
would  solve  great  commercial  and  political  questions. 
Canada  is  growing  too  rapidly  to  remain  forever  as  she 
is.  In  local  matters  she  is  only  a  nominal  dependency, 
enjoying,  practically,  control  of  her  own  affairs.  But 
the  day  will  come,  though  perhaps  not  soon,  when  she 
will  outgrow  this  tutelage  which  sits  lightly  on  her 
now.  Then  why  should  she  turn  to  you  ?  Her  chil- 
dren are  the  offsDrinsj  of  the  two  foremost  nations  of  the 


108  PEOFESSOB  CONANT. 

world ;  they  both  know  how  to  govern.  Canadians  have 
had  experience  in  the  methods  of  constitutional  reform  ; 
as  to  her  local  jurisdiction  Canada  is  a  free  country; 
she  is  working  out  the  problem  of  British  Parliament- 
ary government.  There  are,  indeed,  enemies  within 
her  borders,  but,  if  the  people  are  wise,  they  will  over- 
come them.  She  has  verge  and  scope  enough  to  satisfy 
the  wildest  hopes  of  an  ambitious  people.  "Why  not 
encourage  her  to  set  up  for  herself,  that  there  may  be 
wrought  out  on  this  Continent  two  systems  of  constitu- 
tional liberty,  so  much  akin  as  to  create  friendship 
among  both  peoples,  and  divergent  enough  to  form  a 
contrast  and  enable  us  to  compare  the  two  systems  ?" 

"  But  why  maintain  the  two  systems  ?  "  interposed 
Mr.  Burrows,  "  with  the  expense  and  annoyance  of  two 
long  lines  of  custom-houses,  and  the  general  adminis- 
tration of  two  governments  ?  Why  not  let  us  welcome 
you  to  our  markets,  and  to  the  protection  and  the  pres- 
tige of  our  power  ?  These  are  not  myths ;  they  have 
been  founded  in  blood  and  treasure.  I  honor  your  at- 
tachment to  the  Old  Country  that  has  served  you  so 
well,  but  which  would  not  hold  you  a  moment  after  it 
was  manifestly  your  interest  to  go.  We,  too,  are  your 
kinsmen,  and  United  North  America  would  be  to  us  all 
a  guarantee  of  prosperity  and  peace." 

"  Oh,  why  do  you  covet  more  ?  "  said  De  Luynes, 
"  with  your  boundless  territories  and  your  varieties  of 
climate,  soil  and  production  ?  If  we  were  safely  in- 
trenched against  foreign  foes,  might  there  not  grow  up 
greater  dangers  in  the  way  of  domestic  discord  ?  This 
question  will  be  settled  by  the  generation  which  has 
to  solve  it,  and  possibly  by  lights  that  are  obscure  to  us 
now ;  but,  do  you  not  think  greed  of  territory  grows 


DE  LUTNES  DISCUSSES  BURNING   QUESTIONS.  109 

like  love  of  accumulation?  If  you  had  Canada,  how 
long  would  Mexico  remain  out  in  the  cold  ?  and  which 
of  the  mongrel  Spanish-American  States  could  resist, 
after  that,  your  powerful  fascination  ?  All  this  might 
increase  commerce,  but  where  would  remain  that  sheet- 
anchor  of  freedom,  intelligent  popular  opinion?  If  my 
thought  suggests  danger,  the  peril  would  threaten  us 
all." 

"  I  had  never  regarded  it  in  that  light,"  said  Mr. 
Burrows,  "  and  yours  is  a  plausible  view." 

"I  admire  your  great  republic,"  De  Luynes  re- 
marked, "  and  have  been  rebuked  among  my  own  people 
for  my  out-spoken  opinions.  There  is  a  class  with 
us  who  regard  friendship  for  the  '  States '  as  incom- 
patible with  loyalty  to  the  Empire.  But  if  I  could 
return  here  in  a  hundred  years,  I  should  like  to  find  in 
North  America  two  great  countries  which  had  been  true 
to  their  traditions,  and  had  promoted  the  enjoyment  of 
liberty  under  those  two  systems  among  hundreds  of 
millions  of  prosperous  freemen.  To  have  achieved  such 
results  would  have  required  wisdom  and  forbearance, 
for  there  are  evils  now,  which,  if  not  suppressed,  will 
insure  the  destruction  of  both  countries.  I  have 
always  advocated  an  extended  franchise,  but  it  is  a 
source  of  danger  where  the  people  are  mercenary,  or 
where  they  do  not  understand  their  rights.  The  dema- 
gogue is  a  perpetual  menace  to  free  governments.  The 
mere  politician  looks  only  to  the  moment.  What  we  need 
are  statesmen  of  honor  and  worth,  to  lead  the  people  to 
look  beyond  for  ulterior  results.  Despotism,  with  all 
its  hatefulness,  moves  in  a  narrow  circle,  and,  controlling 
few  influences,  may  be  comparatively  pure.  The  worst 
forms  of  corruption  are  found  where  a  corrupt  people 


HO  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

govern.  And  you  have  but  one  safeguard — a  healthy 
public  opinion.  We  must  treat  as  an  enemy  of  the 
state  the  man  who  would  debauch  it.  Thus  protected, 
our  free  peoples,  separate  or  united,  will  have  before 
them  a  glorious  future." 

"These  are  noble  sentiments,"  said  the  Professor, 
"  the  stateman's  work  would  be  easy  where  such  princi- 
ples prevailed." 

"  Utopia ! "  exclaimed  our  stranger  of  the  night 
before. 

"  We  cannot  always  realize  in  practice  our  theories 
of  excellence,"  remarked  the  Professor.  "  But  we  can 
set  before  us  a  high  standard  and  strive  to  reach  it,  and 
our  efforts  will  improve  if  they  do  not  perfect  us." 

The  conversation  was  continued,  but  Tom  was  too 
preoccupied  to  listen  further. 


CHAPTEK  XII. 

AVE   SANCTISSIMA. 

WE  left  Dr.  Elmwood  and  Miss  Winthrop  together. 
"  My  darling,  you  seem  agitated,"  said  the  Doctor,  ad- 
dressing her  tenderly.  "  Are  you  troubled  ?  " 

"You  shall  judge  when  you  know  all,  my  dear  uncle," 
and  she  told  him  the  story  of  her  relations  with  Tom. 

"Bless  me,"  said  the  uncle,  "I  might  have  suspected 
this,  but  you  both  seemed  so  old-fashioned  that  I 
thought  you  the  most  prudent  of  friends." 

Then  there  was  a  long  silence,  broken  at  intervals  by 
the  girl's  stifled  sobs.  At  length  he  took  her  hand  af- 
fectionately :  "  Poor  child,"  he  said,  "  are  you  really  dis- 
tressed? "  She  did  not  answer,  and  he  continued,  "You 
have  done  right ;  you  are  both  too  young,  and  you  have 
acted  nobly ;  and  the  poor  young  man — was  he  greatly 
disappointed  by  your  refusal  ?  " 

"  Oh,  uncle,"  she  sobbed,  "  I  only  meant  to  say  that  I 
asked  him  to  wait." 

"  Cheer  up,  little  one,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  I  will  tell 
you  a  secret.  You  always  like  to  think  of  others,  and 
now  it  will  do  you  good.  I  only  kept  the  news  from 
you  to  please  George,  who  wanted  to  tell  you  himself. 
You  are  going  home  at  his  request,  and  he  is  shortly 
to  be  married." 

The  young  lady  clutched  his  arm  nervously.  "To 
whom  ?  Tell  me  all,"  she  said  with  a  changed  and  im- 


112  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

perious  manner.  "  George  has  wronged  me !  What 
does  it  mean  ?  " 

"  Compose  yourself,  my  dear,"  said  her  uncle,  "George 
has  intended  no  wrong.  He  was  undergoing  a  new  expe- 
rience, and  his  course  has  been  eccentric  toward  us  all. 
He  besought  me  to  help  him  in  his  own  way,  and  how 
could  I  refuse  the  boy  ?  He  formed  a  sudden  attach- 
ment for  a  young  lady  in  Washington  last  winter.  They 
were  in  every  way  worthy  of  each  other,  and  she  re- 
turned his  love,  but  persisted  in  postponing  the  engage- 
ment. George  and  her  friends  remonstrated,  but  she 
was  going  abroad  in  the  spring  and  desired  to  be  free 
till  her  return.  Finally,  she  yielded,  but  only  to  the 
extent  that  their  plighted  troth  should  not  be  an- 
nounced till  the  autumn." 

"  Who  is  she  ?  "  interrupted  the  young  lady  passion- 
ately. "  Has  she  been  in  Europe  this  summer  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  you  did  not  see  her,"  said  he.  "  George 
must  have  pressed  her  with  letters,  for  she  has  con- 
sented to  return  and  marry  him.  By  his  invitation 
we  are  going  home  to  the  wedding." 

"  The  naughty  boy !  I  ought  to  refuse  my  consent, 
but  how  can  I  while  the  bride  is  a  stranger.  I  know 
George  would  make  a  wise  choice.  But  this  terrible 
mystery !  " 

"  It  was  foolish,"  said  the  Doctor  ;  "  but  it  will  -soon 
be  solved,  and  I  shall  have  betrayed  my  trust." 

"  George  will  forgive  you,"  she  whispered.  "  Tell 
me  all." 

"  By  a  strange  coincidence,"  he  continued,  "  the  young 
lady  is  on  board  this  ship." 

"  Here,  uncle ! "  she  cried  excitedly,  "  lead  me  to  my 
sister." 


AVE  SANCTISSIMA.  113 

"  Hush,  child,"  urged  the  Doctor ;  "  you  will  need  all 
your  prudence  and  composure.  From  what  I  have  seen 
here,  there  may  be  trouble  in  store  for  poor  George. 
The  young  lady  is  Miss  Roberts  ! " 

"  Then  I  will  answer  for  her  with  my  life,  uncle," 
she  added. 

"How  can  you  tell  that  George  may  not  find  a 
dangerous  rival  in  Lord  Bolton  ?  "  asked  the  uncle. 

"  Never ! "  she  said  with  emphasis ;  "  I  know  it."  And 
she  told  him  of  the  conversation  to  which  she  had  in- 
voluntarily been  a  listener. 

But  it  did  not  altogether  reassure  either  of  them. 
Miss  Roberts  was  true,  but  was  her  heart  engaged  in 
her  refusal  of  Lord  Bolton's  suit  ? 

"  She  is  a  noble  girl,"  observed  the  Doctor,  "  and  she 
has  resisted  a  great  temptation." 

"  Not  if  she  loves  George,"  said  his  companion. 

"  All  the  same,"  he  continued,  "  I  wish  this  contretemps 
could  have  been  avoided." 

"  I  wish  I  might  tell  Capt.  Conant  this  strange  story," 
said  Miss  Winthrop  musingly. 

"  I  see  no  objection,  but  it  should  be  in  confidence," 
remarked  the  uncle.  "  I  will  send  him  to  you." 

"  No,  bring  him  to  me,  please ;  we  will  consult  him 
together." 

"  He  must  be  a  dull  scholar  if  he  does  not  understand 
what  it  means  that  she  needs  to  confide  in  him,"  mused 
the  Doctor,  and,  almost  momently,  he  returned  with 
Tom  on  his  arm. 

"  I  sent  for  you,  Capt.  Conant,"  she  began  with  a  con- 
strained manner,  "to  tell  you  a  family  secret  and  a 
strange  story." 

"  I  shall  be  proud  of  your  confidence,  Miss  Winthop," 


PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

he  replied  with  polite  reserve,  "  and  if  in  any  way  I 
can  serve  you " 

"  "Wait  a  little,"  remarked  Miss  "Winthrop,  "  till  you 
have  heard  my  story."  And  she  related  the  particulars 
as  her  uncle  had  told  them. 

"  That  is  a  strange  story,"  said  Tom ;  "  has  it  distressed 
you  very  much,  Miss  Winthrop  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  have  not  thought  of  myself,"  she  replied.  "  Do 
you  think  I  ought  to  be  troubled?  My  uncle  and 
I  wanted  the  opinion  of  a  third  person  and  we  could 
only  trust  our  secret  to  you." 

"  The  position  is  delicate,"  observed  the  Doctor,  "  and 
suggests  thoughts  which  one  dares  not  express.  Have 
the  conditions  changed  since  Miss  Roberts  accepted 
my  nephew?  " 

"I  think  not,"  Tom  replied,  "except  that  I  don't 
believe  she  is  indifferent  to  Bolton's  attentions.  He  is 
madly  in  love  with  her,  at  any  rate.  Many  a  girl  would 
be  fascinated  by  his  wealth  and  station." 

"  In  our  country,  George's  position  is  as  good  as  his," 
said  Miss  Winthrop  curtly.  "  Oh,  I  am  speaking  from 
an  English  point  of  view,  some  gfrls  regard  titles  as  an 
unusual  distinction,"  Tom  rejoined. 

"And  they  are  universally  so  regarded,"  remarked 
Dr.  Elmwood. 

"But  she  has  refused  Lord  Bolton,  though  we  have 
no  right  to  know  it,"  said  Tom. 

"  Was  it  because  she  loved  George,  or  that  she  is  in 
honor  bound  to  him  ?  "  inquired  his  sister.  "  Some- 
thing makes  me  feel  that  it  was  an  unwilling  refusal. 
George  shall  know  this." 

"  B,ut  she  will  tell  him  herself,  if  it  is  true,"  said 
Tom.  "For  I  believe  she  is  a  noble  woman."  "At 


AVE  SANCTISSIMA.  115 

any  rate,  it  is  a  matter  they  must  settle  themselves,  and 
an  affair  about  which  no  one  should  speak  to  either  of 
them  till  they  have  had  the  opportunity." 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  the  young  lady,  musingly,  "but 
I  have  felt  that  Miss  Roberts  avoids  me.  Can  it  be 
that  they  know  who  I  am  ?  They  must  have  known  I 
was  in  Europe,  and,  probably,  that  I  was  returning  for 
the  wedding." 

"One  would  think,"  said  Tom,  "that  finding  Miss 
Winthrop  of  Boston  here  would  suggest  your  brother." 

"  One  thing  seems  clear,"  remarked  Dr.  Elmwood, 
"we  must  avoid  embarrassing  recognitions." 

"If  I  knew  she  loved  George  still,  I  would  throw 
myself  upon  her  neck ;  but  how  awkward,  if  she  should 
really  be  struggling  to  smother  another  passion,"  said 
George's  sister. 

"Yes,  you  ought  to  preserve  an  incognito  toward 
her.  Things  have  gone  so  far  that  it  is  your  wiser 
course,"  remarked  Tom.  "  It  is  a  pity  you  came  out 
in  the  same  steamer ;  but  she  must  know  that  Bolton's 
attentions  have  been  remarked,  and  it  would  be  embar- 
rassing to  discuss  them  with  the  sister  of  her/cmce." 

"  And  they  ought  to  have  been  embarrassing  in  the 
presence  of  that  sister,"  observed  Miss  Winthrop. 

"  True,"  said  Tom,  "  but  I  don't  believe  she  knows 
you  after  all ;  your  name  is  not  uncommon.  It  may 
have  suggested  nothing  to  her." 

It  was  agreed  that  Miss  Winthrop  should  be  reticent, 
and  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage  maintain  the  status  quo. 
The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  announcement 
of  dinner. 

In  the  evening,  our  friends  again  assembled  in  the 
small  parlor  off  the  saloon.  The  social  atmosphere 


116  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

was  dull  and  enervating ;  for  the  buoyancy  of  spirit  was 
lacking  which  had  distinguished  their  former  reunions. 
Miss  Winthrop  in  one  corner  and  Miss  Roberts  in 
another,  each  with  book  in  hand,  and  in  no  mood  for 
reading,  appeared  taciturn  and  melancholy.  Lord  Bol- 
ton  looked  like  one  in  the  depths  of  despair.  It  was 
easy  for  Tom  to  follow  suit.  Fred  Cuthbert  said  he 
was  gloomy,  because  it  was  the  fashion,  and  one  might 
as  well  be  out  of  the  world  as  out  of  the  fashion,  you 
know. 

"  Our  friends  are  out  of  sorts,"  said  Robert  to  De 
Luynes.  "  You  must  pour  sweet  music  into  their 
souls." 

"  Carlotta,"  he  whispered  to  his  wife,  "  are  you, 
too,  under  the  spell  that  prevails  here?"  He  ran  his 
fingers  over  the  keys,  and,  striking  a  few  chords,  they 
sang  together  that  touching  invocation : 

Ave  Sanctissima 
We  lift  our  souls  to  thcc, 

Ora  pro  nobis, 
'Tis  nightfall  on  the  sea. 

Watch  us  while  shadows  lie, 
Far  o'er  the  water  spread, 
Hear  the  heart's  lonely  sigh, 
Thine  too  hath  bled. 

Thou  that  hast  looked  on  death, 
Aid  us  when  death  is  near ; 
Whisper  of  heaven  to  faith, 
Sweet  Mother,  hear! 

Ora  pro  nobis, 
The  wave  must  rock  our  sleep, 

Ora,  Mater,  Ora, 
Star  of  the  deep. 


AVE  8ANCTI8SIXA.  117 

"  Something  sparkling,"  said  his  wife,  leaning  over 
De  Luynes'  shoulder.  And  the  instrument  gave  forth 
one  of  Strauss'  inspiriting  airs.  The  mercurial  audi- 
ence was  once  more  all  smiles.  Such  charms  hath 
music  to  sadden  or  delight  the  heart. 

"  Where  is  Miss  Roberts,"  inquired  Fred  Cuthbert 
of  Lord  Bolton.  "  She  sings  divinely." 

"  She  would  have  need  to  do  so  to  follow  the  music 
we  have  heard,"  replied  his  Lordship. 

"There  is  a  magnetism  about  the  De  Luynes  that 
strangely  affects  me.  Husband  and  wife  are  alike 
fascinating,"  said  Robert  Holt. 

"  And  they  are  so  accomplished,"  Fred  added. 

"Nobody  will  sing  to-night  after  what  has  gone  be- 
fore," remarked  Lord  Bolton.  "  It  is  stifling  here  ;  I 
must  seek  the  fresh  air." 

As  he  ascended  the  stairs,  Lord  Bolton  met  a  lady 
emerging  from  the  companion-way.  "  Will  you  join  me 
in  a  promenade,  Miss  Roberts?  "  he  asked. 

She  assented,  and  they  walked  slowly  up  and  down 
the  deck,  in  the  moonlight. 

"  '  Ave  Sanctissima,'  the  heavenly  hymn,"  said  Lord 
Bolton. 

"And  with  what  sweetness  they  rendered  it,"  was 
the  rejoinder  ;  "  it  touched  me  as  so  appropriate  at  sea.'* 

"  I  could  hardly  master  my  emotion,"  observed  his 
Lordship.  "  Its  pathos  vibrated  into  the  recesses  of  my 
soul.  I  wanted  to  thank  them,  but  I  shrank  from  trust- 
ing myself  with  words." 

"  Were  you  indeed  so  overpowered  ?  "  inquired  his 
companion.  "  I  thought  I  alone  had  been  weak." 

"  Oh,  emotion  is  not  weakness,"  Lord  Bolton  replied. 
"  It  springs  from  the  noblest  hearts,"  and  the  most 


118  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

generous  impulse.  If  I  dared  I  -would  say  a  word 
more." 

"Go  on,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Miss  Koberts,"  lie  continued,  "  you  and  I  have  been 
prepared  for  such  emotions  by  our  interview,  which  was 
the  most  important  event  of  my  life,  and  I  know  you 
were  not  indifferent.  Am  I  unkind  to  speak  to  you 
again?  You  would  forgive  me  if  you  could  realize 
how  my  hopes  have  centered  in  you.  You  are  the 
light  of  my  life.  With  you  I  could  welcome  death 
and  defy  misfortune;  without  you  who  shall  be  my 
deliverer  ?  " 

"  God,"  she  answered  ;  "  we  must  trust  in  Him." 

"  Oh !  if  we  could  trust  in  each  other,  too. 

'  Yes — loving  is  a  painful  thrill, 
And  not  to  love  more  painful  still; 
But  surely  'tis  the  worst  of  pain 
To  love  and  not  be  loved  again.'  " 

"  Lord  Bolton,"  she  said,  "  Why  wring  my  heart  ? 
It  pains  me  if  you  suffer,  but  you  do  not  suffer  alone. 
More  than  this  I  ought  not,  must  not,  tell  you  ;  you 
must  spare  me  and  forget  me.  My  troth  is  plighted  to 
another.  It  was  his  secret,  and  your  persistent  suit 
wrung  it  from  me." 

"  This  is  a  cruel  fate,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  like  one 
stunned.  "  You  are  my  first  love,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  you,  but  I  will  speak  no  more  of  it." 

"  Great  trials  are  not  everlasting,"  she  answered ; 
"they  mellow  into  tender  memories  as  time  passes. 
Let  us  find  my  sister." 

Meantime,  the  others  had  quietly  taken  their  leave, 
and  De  Luynes  and  Eobert  found  themselves  alone. 


LITTLE   ETHEL  AS   ROBERT  LEFT   HER. 


"  A  few  weeks  ngo,M  said  Holt,  "  I  found  at  a  police  station  in  London,  a  man 
and  a  woman,  with  this  child." — Page  119. 


AYE  SANCTISSIMA.  119 

Bobert  invited  his  companion  to  a  quiet  smoke  in  his 
room,  where  they  could  talk  without  molestation. 

"  I  always  give  myself  this  little  recreation,  here,  be- 
fore retiring,"  he  said,  "  and  it  delights  me  to  have  you 
share  it." 

"  Thanks,  very  much,"  said  De  Luynes,  as  he  absently 
examined  some  books  on  a  shelf  against  the  walL 
"  May  I  look  at  these  pictures,  Holt  ?  "  he  asked,  as  he 
picked  up  some  photographs  that  were  lying  there. 
"  Good  heavens !  this  is  the  likeness  of  my  child ;  my 
little  Ethel !  where  did  you  get  this  ?  " 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Holt,  "  I  left  that  child  the  other 
day  in  my  own  house  in  London." 

"  The  likeness  is  unmistakable,"  persisted  De  Luynes ; 
"  of  course  it  is  impossible.  Let  me  show  it  to  my 
wife  ; "  and  he  started  to  go. 

"  Stay,"  said  Holt,  "  you  must  not  take  it." 

"  Is  there  a  mystery  ?  "  inquired  the  other. 

"I  can  tell  you  nothing,"  was  the  reply;  "but  it 
would  be  iinwise  to  excite  your  wife." 

"It  seems  more  serious  than  I  thought,"  said  De 
Luynes.  "  Is  there  a  secret  involved  that  you  cannot 
confide  to  me  ?  " 

"Compose  yourself,"  said  Holt.  "Give  me  time  to 
think,"  and  after  a  moment's  pause,  he  added,  "  I  will 
tell  you  all  I  know." 

"  It  cannot  be,"  mused  Maurice ;  "  the  child  looks 
younger." 

"  A  few  weeks  ago,"  said  Holt,  "  I  found  at  a  police 
station  in  London  a  man  and  a  woman  with  this  child. 
They  had  been  picked  up  destitute  in  the  street.  The 
man  was  silent  and  morose,  but  the  woman  was  comely 
and  had  an  air  of  patient  resignation  that  attracted  me. 


120  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

They  had  been  without  food  for  two  days,  the  woman 
said,  except  what  she  had  begged  for  the  child.  They 
had  seen  better  days  but  were  reduced  by  misfortune. 
The  child  was  pale  and  wan,  but  her  beautiful  eyes 
seemed  to  appeal  to  me.  An  irresistible  impulse  bade 
me  shield  her.  The  man  and  woman  seemed  ill,  and 
not  knowing  what  else  to  do,  I  sent  them  to  a  private 
hospital  and  provided  a  favorite  nurse  for  the  little  girl." 

"  Those  eyes  are  Ethel's,"  interrupted  De  Luynes, 
absently  regarding  the  picture.  "  Describe  the  child." 

"  No,  let  me  go  on  in  my  own  way." 

"Pardon  me,  but  I  am  so  impatient,"  added  De 
Luynes. 

"  My  aunt,  who  devotes  her  life  to  charity,  visited 
these  people  often  afterward,  and  ministered  to  the 
comfort  of  the  child.  It  was  shortly  removed  because 
the  man  and  woman  were  stricken  with  what  seemed  a 
deadly  illness.  In  a  few  days  they  both  died  of  a 
malignant  fever.  The  man  was  unconscious  to  the 
last ;  the  woman  raved  of  some  great  crime,  and  her 
desire  to  confess  it.  She  continued  delirious,  however. 
Once  only  she  alluded  to  the  child,  which  she  averred 
she  had  not  intended  to  wrong.  It  is  my  aunt's  belief 
that  the  poor  little  thing  had  been  abducted  from 
respectable  parents ;  but  we  had  no  proof.  We  adver- 
tised but  without  result  in  the  London  and  Paris 
journals  tor  'the  parents  of  a  lost  child.'  Nothing  was 
left  us  but  to  provide  for  it.  I  placed  it,  with  its  nurse, 
in  my  own  house  and  under  the  direct  supervision  of 
my  aunt.  It  was  obvious  that,  if  the  child  lived,  what 
we  knew  of  its  origin  ought  to  be  kept  secret.  I  must 
depend  upon  your  discretion.  You  are  the  second  per- 
son only  to  whom  the  story  has  been  told." 


AVE  SANCTISSIMA.  121 

"  It  is  Ethel !  "  said  De  Luynes,  as  if  dreaming  ;  and 
rousing  himself,  he  added,  "  describe  the  nurse  to  me." 

Robert  endeavored  to  do  so. 

"It  seems  like  Nora,  the  dear  old  nurse,  whom  we 
have  so  trusted,"  said  De  Luynes ;  "  but  who  was  the 
man?" 

"  He  may  have  been  the  father  of  the  child,"  Holt 
replied ;  "  but  we  believe  and  hope  not" 

"  My  God !  "  ejaculated  Maurice,  "  it  is  all  plain  to 
me  now.  What  if  he  persuaded  the  weak  woman  to 
elope  with  him ;  she  loved  the  child  and  would  not 
have  abandoned  it.  Moreover,  he  may  have  had  hope 
of  a  ransom.  It  might  have  all  happened;  my  poor 
old  mother  is  an  invalid  at  home.  The  child  was  not 
expected  back  for  the  season.  There  is  more  than  ono 
way  they  might  have  managed  to  deceive  her.  Holy 
Virgin!  Was  Carlotta's  disquietude  a  miraculous 
warning !  Oh  !  no,  I  am  raving.  Yet,  for  the  moment, 
it  all  seemed  so  real."  Then,  looking  at  the  likeness 
again,  he  pursued,  "  It  is  the  child ;  if  I  could  return  to 

England  by  an  inward  bound  vessel —  but  Carlotta 

would  know  all  and  it  would  madden  her." 

"If  the  child  is  yours,  she  is  safe,"  said  Robert, 
soothingly.  "So  Madame  De  Luynes'  ignorance  is 
bliss,  and  the  child  does  not  suffer.  A  few  days,  more 
or  less,  will  solve  the  mystery ;  after  all,  your  Ethel  is 
probably  safe  at  home." 

"  Poor  Nora !  "  murmured  Maurice. 

"  Compose  yourself,"  pleaded  Holt. 

"  Is  it  such  a  tale  as  would  inspire  me  with  com- 
posure? My  home  robbed,  my  child  lost,  the  treach- 
ery of  my  servants Heavens  !  and  you  would  have 

me  tranquil  over  it  ?  " 
6 


122  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  My  poor  friend !  "  said  Robert,  "  your  child  is  safe 
at  tlie  worst,  either  in  your  home  or  in  mine.  There 
would  be  room  for  frenzy  if  she  were  lost  to  you  alto- 
gether. As  a  strong  man  it  is  your  duty  to  be  com- 
posed. There  must  be  no  outward  sign  of  agitation ; 
remember  your  wife,  and  save  her  from  the  terrible 
ordeal." 

"  You  are  right,  Holt,"  said  Maurice,  giving  him  his 
hand.  "  I  must  seek  the  fresh  air  and  solitude.  Let 
me  keep  the  picture.  Au  revoir."  And  he  was  gone. 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  said  Robert,  "  I  honor  his  emotions, 
but  he  was  made  for  a  romantic  life.  Madame  De 
Luynes  need  never  know  that  the  child  was  lost  till  it 
has  again  been  found."  The  next  morning  Robert  told 
the  Professor  of  his  interview  with  Maurice  the  night 
before,  but  that  gentleman  saw  nothing  remarkable  in 
what  he  had  to  relate,  and  did  not  sympathize  with 
Robert's  impressions  that  the  parents  of  the  lost  child 
had  been  found.  "  A  romance  of  this  sort  must  be  re- 
served for  the  novels,"  he  said;  "such  coincidences 
rarely  happen  in  real  life.  The  child  is  as  likely  to 
have  been  abducted  in  London  as  in  Canada,  and  if 
you  admit  this,  your  fabric  falls  to  the  ground." 

Tom  enjoyed  a  tete-a-tete  with  Madame  De  Luynes, 
and  Fred  Cuthbert  was  indefatigable  in  his  attention 
to  Miss  Winthrop.  Neither  Lord  Bolton  nor  Miss 
Roberts  was  yet  visible;  Maurice  was  absent  and 
pre-occupied,  and  parried  the  attempts  of  his  Ameri- 
can friends  to  draw  him  into  further  conversation. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  and  Dr.  Elmwood  were  watching 
the  sports  of  the  passengers ;  and  thus  the  day  passed 
from  one  thing  to  another  without  excitement  or  ad- 
venture. 


AVE  SANCTISS1MA.  123 

There  was  an  attempt  to  renew  the  previous  evening's 
entertainment,  but  the  De  Luyiies  did  not  sing,  and  the 
music  languished  for  want  of  inspiration.  Thus  it  hap- 
pens at  sea  that  our  feelings  are  alternately  depressed 
and  excited,  and  the  jokes  which  arouse  hilarity  to-day 
will  to-morrow  fall  upon  listless  and  unwilling  ears. 
With  our  friends  the  rule  had  no  exception ;  and  if 
there  was  cause  for  want  of  spirits,  it  was  apparent 
only  to  those  who  knew  it. 

The  next  day,  and  the  next,  except  that  the  weather 
was  beautiful  and  that  the  Alaric  was  making  good 
speed,  witnessed  nothing  of  great  interest.  But  on  the 
following  morning  a  ship  was  sighted  which  signalled  a 
desire  to  communicate.  The  ship  "  hove  to,"  and  the 
stranger  lowered  a  boat  with  a  single  passenger,  which 
quickly  made  for  the  Alaric.  There  was  great  excite- 
ment on  board  at  this  unusual  proceeding,  and,  as  the 
boat  neared  the  ship,  De  Luynes,  recognizing  some  one, 
motioned  to  his  wife  and  shouted,  "  Gustave ! "  To 
climb  up  the  side  of  the  vessel  was  the  work  of  a 
moment. 

The  greeting  between  Maurice  and  his  friend  was 
most  cordial. 

"Gustave,  my  cousin,  you  bring  bad  news,"  said 
Madame  De  Luynes. 

"  No,  no,"  he  answered,  embracing  her  tenderly.  "  I 
have  but  a  moment,  let  me  speak  to  Maurice  alone." 

"Is  Ethel  alive?     Only  tell  me  that,"  she  persisted. 

"  Oh  !  Carlotta,  she  was  quite  well  when  last  I  saw 
her.  I  wanted  to  save  you,  but  my  bad  news  is  that 
Madame  De  Luynes  is  dead." 

Carlotta  dropped  passively  into  her  chair,  and  Mau- 
rice stepped  aside  with  his  cousin. 


124:  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  My  poor  friend,  prepare  yourself  for  worse  news ; 
I  knew  you  were  coming  on  the  Alaric.  Your  little 
Ethel  is  lost.  Nora  cannot  be  found  and  the  country  is 
being  searched  for  them." 

"I  know  it,"  said  Maurice,  motioning  to  Holt  to  join 
them.  "  Give  me  my  child's  address  in  London." 

Holt  wrote  it  with  a  puzzled  air ;  Maurice  continued, 
"  Gustave,  Nora  ran  away  with  the  child,  and  died  the 
other  day  in  London ;  this  good  friend  rescued  my  dar- 
ling, and  she  is  now  safe  in  his  house.  Carlotta  knows 
nothing,  but  she  has  been  wild  with  imaginary  fears  ; 
she  has  had  a  supernatural  prescience  that  something 
was  wrong,  though  she  knew  not  what.  Look  at  that 
likeness !  "  handing  him  the  portrait. 

"  Great  heaven !  that  is  Ethel,"  said  Gustave. 

"  It  is  the  likeness  of  the  child  my  friend  rescued," 
continued  Maurice.  "  You  are  bound  for  Paris,  but  go 
at  once  to  London,  identify  the  child  and  cable  me." 

Holt,  who  had  divined  his  motive  in  calling  him,  had 
scribbled  a  hasty  note  which  he  handed  to  Gustave. 
"Present  this,"  he  said,  "and  if  you  recognize  the  baby 
your  course  will  be  easy." 

"Good-bye,"  cried  Gustave.  "I  must  go.  Salute 
Carlotta  for  me.  It  was  this  shock  that  killed  your 
poor  mother.  Trust  me."  And  bowing  to  the  Captain 
he  re-entered  the  boat  and  returned  to  the  ship  in  wait- 
ing- 

"  I  should  have  gone  with  him,"  said  Maurice  to  Holt, 
"if  I  could  have  left  my  wife.  Oh  God!  my  poor 
mother." 

The  De  Luynes  retired,  and  the  lively  curiosity  of  the 
inquiring  passengers  was  not  gratified. 

"  This  has  been  an  unusual  incident,"  remarked  the 


AVE  SANCT1SSIMA.  125 

Captain,  as  he  watched  Gustave  going  off;  "  the  De 
Luynes  must  be  people  of  some  influence." 

In  the  evening,  the  Professor  and  Dr.  Elmwood  sat 
alone  in  a  quiet  corner  of  the  saloon  discussing  a  toddy 
before  retiring.  Eight  or  wrong,  this  was  a  custom  they 
both  enjoyed  and  never  abused.  They  did  not  approach 
excess;  perhaps,  as  they  lingered  over  the  generous 
glass,  where  others  would  have  become  hilarious,  they 
might  have  been  convivial,  reaching  just  a  faint  tinge 
of  exaggeration,  just  a  little  mellowing  of  their  confi- 
dences in  and  to  each  other;  but  never  transcending 
the  orthodox  limits.  They  had  been  speaking  of  vari- 
ous subjects,  of  theories  of  navigation,  of  the  economies 
of  the  ship,  of  its  log,  its  record  as  to  speed,  and  the 
manner  in  which  adverse  winds  had  delayed  her,  the 
events  of  the  past  day,  of  the  way  in  which  Gustave  had 
boarded  her,  which  they  thought  extraordinary,  De 
Luynes  being  a  mystery  to  them  both.  They  thought 
him  clever,  versatile,  and  possessed  of  remarkable  qual- 
ities. The  Professor  felt  that  he  might  safely  confide 
in  his  friend,  and  he  told  him  all  we  know  of  poor  De 
Luynes'  distractions,  including  an  account  of  the  inter- 
view with  Robert  and  the  revelations  of  Gustave. 

The  Doctor  was  profoundly  impressed ;  he  was, 
moreover,  proud  of  the  confidence,  and  of  the  fact  that 
he  was  in  some  measure  in  a  position  to  return  it.  He 
told  the  Professor  what  he  knew  of  the  story  of  Tom 
and  his  niece. 

The  Professor  thanked  him,  but  he  already  knew  it. 
His  boy,  he  said  tenderly,  had  no  secrets  from  him. 
The  young  people  he  hoped  would  come  to  understand 
each  other,  but  he  thought  the  best  way  to  deal  with 
such  matters  was  to  leave  them  to  themselves. 


126  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"With  increasing  confidence,  Dr.  Elmwood  then  re- 
lated the  story  of  Miss  Roberts  and  Lord  Bolton. 
There  again  Tom  had  forestalled  him,  but  this  only  left 
them  in  a  better  position  to  discuss  the  subject,  which 
seemed  full  of  interest  to  both.  The  voyage  was  not 
uneventful,  they  both  said,  and  they  agreed  that  it  was 
better  to  look  on  than  to  interfere  ;  but  they  expressed 
their  opinions  freely,  as  if  nobody  could  ever  know 
what  each  had  said  to  the  other.  So,  calmly,  do  men 
of  middle-age  look  down  upon  the  tumults  that  agitate 
the  young.  They  have  had  their  trials  and  overcome 
them ;  they  know  that  life  is  full  of  sorrow,  and  that 
time  is  the  great  healer ;  they  have  learned,  also,  that 
one  door  of  enjoyment  opens  as  another  closes.  They 
do  not  expect  to  enjoy  happiness  unalloyed,  and  they 
know  that  every  cloud  has  a  silver  lining.  After  a 
while,  both  retired,  sympathetic,  but  confident  that  all 
would  come  right  in  the  end. 


CHAPTEE  XIII. 

"WHO  COULD  FORESEE   PERILS?" 

THE  night  was  beautiful ;  and  there  was  only  a  gen- 
tle motion  of  the  waters,  and 

'  Every  wave  with  dimpled  face, 

That  leaped  up  in  the  air, 
Had  caught  a  star  in  its  embrace, 
And  held  it  trembling  there.' 

There  was  silence  in  the  haunts  of  the  passengers, 
and  the  great  ship  moved  majestically  all  the  long  night 
over  the  quiet  sea.  Who  could  foresee  perils  or  dream 
that  her  strength  would  fail  ? 

Towards  morning  the  fog-horn,  that  terror  of  passen- 
gers, began  to  send  forth  unearthly  sounds.  These 
were  warnings  to  approaching  vessels  of  danger  ahead, 
and  they  also  warned  the  experienced  passenger  that 
a  thick  fog  was  prevailing.  The  sharp  eye  of  the 
"  look-out "  could  scarcely  penetrate  the  mist,  and  the 
chances  of  collision  with  vessels  in  the  track  were  immi- 
nent. No  position  is  more  calculated  to  arouse  the 
anxiety  of  travellers  at  sea. 

"  The  Marie  is  a  fine  ship,"  said  De  Luynes,  "  and 
well  manned ;  as  things  go,  she  is  considered  to  be 
finely  equipped,  but  she  is  on  a  fast  line  and  there  is 
the  danger.  No  human  eye  could  descry  a  ship  in  this 


128  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

thick  mist,  making  towards  her  in  time  to  arrest  an  in- 
evitable crash  ;  and  yet  she  will  rush  on  at  full  speed 
in  order  to  make  time,  when  she  ought  to  go  slowly  and 
cautiously.  In  case  of  accident,  what  provision  have 
we  for  saving  life '?  The  boats,  if  they  could  be  safely 
lowered,  would  not  accommodate  two  hundred  passen- 
gers, and,  including  cabin  and  steerage,  we  have  on 
board  well  nigh  a  thousand  souls.  The  life-preservers 
would  be  useless  to  most  of  us,  because  we  have  not 
been  taught  how  to  wear  them,  and,  awkwardly  ad- 
justed, they  would  create  more  danger  than  they  would 
avoid.  All  is  delightful  in  smooth  sailing,  but  who 
shall  say  that  disasters  may  not  occur  which  would  put 
human  life  in  unnecessary  jeopardy  ?  " 

"  Let  us  count  the  boats,"  said  the  Professor ;  they 
did  so  and  found  there  were  but  ten ;  each  could  carry 
safely  but  twenty  people.  "  This  is  fearful,"  he  added  ; 
"  what  can  we  do  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we  must  take  our  chances,  accidents  are  the 
exception ;  the  ships  generally  make  prosperous  voy- 
ages, and  so  these  defects  are  not  exposed.  They  are 
neither  noticed  nor  remedied." 

"I  hope  the  fog  will  lift  soon,"  said  Robert  Holt. 
"This  darkness  is  becoming  intolerable." 

But  all  day  long  it  enveloped  them,  and  the  dreadful 
whistle  continued  to  herald  the  fact.  The  passengers 
became  gloomy  and  apprehensive  as  the  night  closed 
in,  and  there  seemed  on  every  countenance  a  common 
dread  of  danger.  The  decks  and  the  saloons  were  early 
deserted ;  the  anxieties  of  some  were  forgotten  in  sleep, 
but  most  people  wooed  it  in  vain. 

There  was  a  timid  rap  at  Dr.  Elmwood's  door.  "  May 
I  come  in,  dear  uncle  ?  I  am  distracted  with  this  terri- 


"  WHO  COULD  FORESEE  PERILS!"  129 

ble  whistle  and  with  these  gloomy  surroundings.  May 
I  sit  with  you  ?" 

"Sit  down,  child,"  he  responded;  "we  are  mak- 
ing splendid  time,  and  I  see  no  cause  for  alarm ;  yet 
life  is  uncertain  and  apprehensions  are  natural.  We 
must  look  above  for  strength. 

"  What  a  field  of  thought  is  open  to  one  who  watches 
at  midnight  in  such  a  sea,  feeling  that  the  next 
moment  may  precipitate  a  crash  which  might  engulf 
every  one  in  the  deep  waters.  How  the  far-off  past  re- 
turns to  one  with  forgotten  scenes  which  are  now  made 
familiar  again ;  one's  boyhood,  one's  school  days,  the 
companions  of  one's  youth — and  how  the  minutest 
details  of  one's  life  are  lived  over  again.  Home  and 
friends  are  with  him,  and  it  seems  as  if  their  presence 
were  real ;  the  good  he  has  done,  the  wrongs  he  has 
suffered,  and  been  guilty  of,  how  all  are  reviewed  and 
re-enacted,  and  how  he  thinks  he  would  undo  this  and 
do  that  could  he  live  his  life  over  again.  Clearly  he 
sees  now  the  path  of  duty,  and  feels  that  it  would  have 
been  easy  to  follow  it ;  in  such  a  mood,  the  triumphs 
of  his  life  are  trifles  light  as  air  and  his  trials  not  worth 
remembering.  He  will  make  amends  if  he  is  spared  by 
becoming  the  almoner  of  God's  bounties  to  the  poor. 
He  wonders  at  his  own  indifference  in  the  past,  and  as 
for  the  future  he  piously  pledges  himself  to  do  unto 
others  as  he  would  they  should  do  unto  him. 

"  Of  all  the  hundreds  in  this  great  ship,  how  many  are 
realizing  this  description  ?  How  many,  being  fearful 
would  amend  their  lives  ?  How  many,  once  safe  again, 
would  renew  them  ?  But  thank  God  we  are  in  no  such 
extremity ;  we  are  sailing  over  a  smooth  sea,  in  a  strong 

ship,  which  has  weathered  the  voyage  these  fifty  times, 
6* 


130  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

and  not  always  in  fine  weather.  Humanly  speaking, 
the  conditions  are  all  in  our  favor,  and  whatever  hap- 
pens will  be  under  the  eye  of  Him  without  whose 
knowledge  'not  a  sparrow  falls.' 

"You  are  weary  and  excited,  and  you  need  repose," 
continued  the  Doctor.  "  The  morning  will  bring  relief 
and  further  evidences  of  God's  mercies.  "We  are  rapidly 
nearing  home  now,  and  in  a  few  days  you  will  be 
recounting  these  trials  with  a  smile,  to  your  friends. 
You  may  have  great  need  of  strength  when  you  reach 
them.  Summon  courage  and  seek  rest." 

"  Pray  with  me,  uncle,"  she  said ;  and  they  joined 
in  a  fervent  prayer  of  thanksgiving,  petitioning  the 
Almighty  Father  for  protection  and  peace. 

"  I  feel  better,  uncle  ;  you  have  soothed  and  comforted 
me  ;  I  can  sleep  now ;  good  night." 

"  Poor  girl !  "  said  Dr.  Elm  wood,  musingly,  after  she 
left.  "  I  wish  I  could  comfort  myself  with  the  confi- 
dence which  I  tried  to  impart  to  her.  She  will  have  a 
fearful  burden  to  carry  when  she  reaches  home.  I  won- 
der, would  she  not  have  been  better  able  to  meet  it  had 
she  accepted  Tom's  suit?" 

It  was  late  at  night,  but  De  Luynes  and  the  young 
men  were  still  on  deck.  "  I  cannot  sleep,"  said  De 
Luynes  ;  "  this  fog  is  so  dense  and  our  speed  is  so  great, 
that  I  am  afraid ;  we  are  within  the  chapter  of  accidents, 
and  a  collision  would  sink  us  ;  beyond  the  whistle,  the 
ship  can  take  no  precautions.  The  sea  is  alive  with 
steamships  and  coasters.  I  have  been  trying  in  vain  to 
persuade  the  Captain  to  slacken  speed ;  he  was  not  rude, 
but  he  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  was  in  command 
of  the  vessel.  Heavens !  that  light !  "  There  was  a 
cry  of  "  ship  ahead !  " 


"  WHO   COULD  FORESEE  PERILS!"  131 

"  Port  your  helm !  "  shouted  the  officer ;  it  was  too 
late ;  a  brig  had  struck  them,  and  a  terrible  crash  fol- 
lowed ;  everybody  was  hurled  prostrate.  In  two  min- 
utes the  deck  was  covered  with  half-dressed  and  ter- 
rified passengers.  The  confusion  was  fearful ;  the  ex- 
citement had  no  bounds ;  women  and  children  rushed 
aimlessly  about  uttering  piteous  cries  and  supplications; 
and,  with  few  exceptions,  the  men  were  equally  frantic. 

Above  all  the  tumult  was  heard  the  clear,  ringing 
voice  of  De  Luynes  shouting,  "  Silence !  We  are  all 
safe ;  let  us  have  order  and  all  may  yet  be  well." 

Courage  always  inspires  hope,  and  there  was  a  lull, 
as  if  men  waited  to  see  what  he  would  do  next.  The 
ship  had  righted  herself,  but  the  engine  and  machinery 
had  stopped.  There  were  cries  of  distress  from  the 
neighboring  brig.  She  was  disabled  and  sinking. 
Her  crew  had  taken  to  the  water.  To  lower  the 
boats  of  the  Alaric  was  but  the  work  of  a  few  min- 
utes ;  they  moved  toward  the  wreck  cautiously  in 
the  darkness,  that  they  might  avoid  the  suction  of  the 
sinking  ship  while  they  sought  to  rescue  her  people. 
The  lanterns  could  not  penetrate  the  thick  fog,  and  the 
sailors,  who  could  not  see,  shouted  that  help  was  at 
hand,  and  thus  encouraged  the  desperate  swimmers. 
Some  were  pulled  into  the  boats ;  some  having  made 
for  the  ship's  signal  lights,  were  assisted  to  climb  up 
her  side,  while  others,  alas !  less  fortunate,  were  lost. 

The  passengers  of  the  Alaric  had,  momently,  for- 
gotten their  own  troubles  in  striving  to  watch  the  strug- 
gles for  life  going  on  around  them.  Of  course,  they 
could  see  nothing,  but  they  heard  the  cries  of  distress 
with,  now  and  again,  a  word  of  encouragement.  At 
length  all  was  silent,  except  the  voices  of  the  men  as 


132  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

the  boats  were  returning.  Meantime,  the  Captain  had 
been  examining  the  ship  and  had  found  her  sadly  dam- 
aged. Her  bow  had  been  crushed  in;  some  of  tho 
rigging  of  the  lost  vessel  had  been  entangled  with  tho 
screw,  and  had  stopped  the  engine,  leaving  no  motive 
power,  except  the  canvas,  which,  under  the  most  favor- 
able circumstances  could  only  propel  the  steamer  a 
few  miles  an  hour. 

The  rescued  sailors  reported  their  vessel  as  the  Span- 
ish brig  Isabella,  bound  from  the  West  Indies  to  Liver- 
pool. She  had  been  struck  amidships  and  cut  in  two. 
The  Captain,  his  wife  and  children  were  among  the  lost. 

"  Poor  sufferers,"  said  our  Captain,  "  only  with  this 
brief  record  do  their  lives  come  into  ours ;  perhaps  he 
was  a  brave  seaman  and  his  wife  a  lovely  help-meet ; 
was  it  not  after  all  a  mercy  that  when  they  were  called 
they  might  tread  together  the  shoreless  depths  of  the 
sea  of  death  ?  They  were  not  like  the  two  women  grind- 
ing at  the  mill ;  the  one  taken  and  the  other  left ;  they 
died  as  they  had  lived,  united." 

The  passengers  began  slowly  to  withdraw  from  the 
deck,  and  thus  quiet  was  restored ;  for  notwithstanding 
all  their  misfortunes,  there  was  as  yet  no  actual  dis- 
comfort. They  had  now  to  depend  on  the  sails,  and 
might  be  days  longer  at  sea ;  but  if  they  could  avoid 
a  storm,  the  good  ship  would  weather  it  out. 

What  a  day  was  that  which  followed !  the  presence 
of  death,  the  sense  of  danger  escaped;  the  reaction 
from  intense  excitement  and  fear,  was  like  the  bruised 
sensation  that  follows  extreme  tension  of  the  muscles. 
Each  had  lived  a  life-time  in  a  few  hours,  and  yet  all 
felt  that  their  sufferings  had  been  rewarded,  because 
comparative  safety  had  succeeded  the  hour  of  trial 


"  WHO  COULD  FORESEE  PERILS!"  133 

Our  travellers  were  not  so  prostrated,  for  they  pos- 
sessed more  than  the  average  of  courage  and  self-re- 
liance ;  but  they  were  thoughtful  and  disquieted.  Per- 
haps all  this  strain  had  been  a  mercy  to  those  who  had 
suffered.  At  any  rate,  it  had  brought  the  lovers  to- 
gether again,  and  for  the  moment  they  had  forgotten  the 
cause  of  their  recent  separation.  Was  it  because  they 
were  dear  that  they  were  again  near  to  each  other? 
The  distraction  was  a  positive  relief  to  the  De  Luynes, 
who  had  been  so  much  oppressed  by  their  own  troubles. 

"  Carlotta,"  De  Luynes  said  to  his  wife,  "  I  felt  at 
one  time  that  the  hope  you  have  so  often  expressed 
would  be  realized — that  we  should  die  together." 

"  Oh !  Maurice,"  she  answered,  "  if  it  had  come  to 
that,  I  could  not  have  borne  that  you  should  go  alone." 
She  spoke  of  home,  which  they  were  nearing,  of  their 
poor  old  mother,  whom  they  should  meet  no  more. 

"  What  a  sweet,  pure  life  she  led,  Maurice !  Oh  that 
my  life  could  be  such  a  blessing  to  others !  How 
calmly  I  am  sure  she  went  to  her  reward.  But  she 
loves  us  still.  Do  you  not  think  she  watches  over  us 
now  in  our  perils  ?  " 

"  She  loves  us  still,  dear  Carlotta,"  he  said  to  her,  as 
the  eyes  of  both  filled  with  tears.  "  She  sent  Gustavo 
with  that  message,"  he  added  aside.  "  It  is  all  clear  to 
me  now.  Is  this  an  inspiration  ?  Are  hidden  things 
revealed  to  us  as  we  grow  older?" 

"  Good  morning,  Holt,"  he  said  aloud,  as  that  gentle- 
man with  a  polite  bow  to  Carlotta  joined  them.  They 
spoke  of  the  accident ;  Holt  was  hopeful,  nay,  confident. 

The  machinery  was  disabled,  Holt  remarked;  but 
apart  from  that,  the  ship  as  good  as  new.  The  sailing 
would  be  slow,  but  it  was  not  dangerous. 


134  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

All  had  words  of  sympathy  for  the  poor  fellows  who 
had  been  lost  from  the  unfortunate  vessel. 

"  Sister  Ethel  will  be  waiting  for  us  with  our  dear 
little  one,"  said  Madame  De  Luynes  abruptly.  "  God 
grant  that  we  may  reach  them  safely  ;  my  sister  would 
start  for  Quebec  yesterday;  you  must  see  my  sister 
Ethel,  Mr.  Holt ;  she  is  a  dear  girl,  and  they  natter  me 
by  saying  that  she  resembles  me." 

"  Yes,"  said  Maurice,  "  Sister  Ethel  is  among  the 
loveliest  of  women,  and  in  appearance  and  disposition 
she  is  like  my  wife." 

Robert  responded  politely. 

"Oh,  my  baby,"  resumed  Madame  De  Luynes;  "how 
I  long  to  embrace  her !  I  wonder  if  she  has  changed 
much,  and  will  she  know  me,  Maurice  ?  Of  course,  you 
don't  care  for  babies,  Mr.  Holt,  but  you  would  be  struck 
with  the  child's  great,  lustrous  eyes." 

"  They  are  like  her  mother's,"  said  Maurice. 

"Dear  old  Nora,  her  nurse,  has  been  so  faithful," 
continued  the  child's  mother ;  "  I  am  glad  we  brought 
her  presents  from  Paris.  I  don't  mean  that  she  is 
'  old  '  in  years  ;  one  uses  the  word  as  a  term  of  endear- 
ment ; "  and  so  the  fond  mother  continued  to  speak  of 
her  darling,  till  her  husband  and  friend  persuaded  her 
to  seek  rest  and  composure. 

It  was  mid-day ;  the  ship  was  doing  poor  work  and 
the  sky  was  overcast  and  lowering.  The  wind  had 
freshened  and  the  fog  was  lifting  ;  but  the  most  power- 
ful glass  showed  no  signs  of  the  lost  vessel ;  all  hope 
was  abandoned  for  the  safety  of  those  who  had  not 
been  rescued  in  the  morning. 

"  I  fear  that  our  troubles  are  not  over,"  Dr.  Elmwood 
observed  to  the  Professor ;  "  there  is  a  storm  gathering, 


"  WHO  COULD  FORESEE  PERILS!"  135 

and  in  a  storm  we  should  navigate  poorly  -with  a  dis- 
abled ship." 

"  I  have  great  confidence  in  the  Captain,"  was  the 
answer.  "These  ships  maintain  the  discipline  of  a 
man-of-war  ;  our  position  is  not  unprecedented,  and  we 
can  depend  upon  the  best  of  human  skill  to  bring  us 
safely  into  port." 

"  Yet  we  owe  our  misfortune  to  a  palpable  blunder, 
or  worse,"  remarked  the  Doctor  ;  "  running  at  full  speed 
through  a  dense  fog.  It  might  have  saved  us  a  day,  if 
there  had  been  no  accident,  but  it  multiplied  our 
chances  of  disaster.  Do  you  believe  the  collision 
would  have  occurred  if  we  had  been  running  at  half 
speed  ?  De  Luynes  was  frantic  about  it  all  last 
evening,  and,  I  am  told,  had  sharp  words  with  the 
Captain, — 

"  Who,  I  suppose,  was  simply  obeying  his  orders," 
interrupted  the  Professor. 

"  Oh,  as  to  that,  the  criticism  is  just  the  same,  whether 
the  responsibility  rests  with  the  Company  or  with  the 
officers  of  the  ship ;  already,  lives  have  been  lost  and 
more  are  in  jeopardy.  It  would  be  a  poor  compensation 
to  say  that  the  Alaric  tried  to  make  better  time  than 
vessels  of  another  line." 

"  There  is  truth  in  what  you  say,"  said  the  Professor. 
"When  we  commit  ourselves  to  the  mercies  of  the  deep 
we  are  entitled  to  every  protection  from  those  who  are 
amply  paid  for  transporting  us  safely." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Doctor,  "  and  if  we  are  lost,  there 
will  be  censure  and,  perhaps  for  a  time,  more  caution ; 
but  if  we  come  safely  into  port  our  adventures  will  be 
forgotten,  and  the  abuse  will  go  on  till  others,  less  for- 
tunate, are  lost  by  the  blunders  which  threatened  us. 


136  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

Men  are  slow  to  prevent  mishaps,  even  when  the  danger 
is  plain  enough ;  we  are  apt  to  move  against  them,  with 
a  strong  hand,  after  they  have  occurred." 

"  Cheer  up,"  said  the  Professor ;  "  you  are  morbid, 
my  dear  friend." 

"  "We  are  in  God's  hands,"  remarked  the  Doctor,  as 
he  walked  leisurely  away. 

Knots  of  passengers  were  talking  earnestly  here  and 
there.  There  were  now  none  of  the  amusements  and 
hilarities  of  the  early  days  of  the  voyage.  During  the 
afternoon  the  storm  continued  to  threaten,  and  a  stiff 
north-easterly  wind  set  in.  The  sea,  which  had  been 
tranquil,  became  agitated,  and  the  ship  drifted  at  its 
mercy.  Her  bow  had  been  stove  in,  and  the  forward 
compartment  was  filled  with  water. 

"  If  this  should  increase  to  a  gale  we  shall  have  a 
rough  night,"  the  captain  said  to  the  first  officer. 
"  We  are  prepared  for  the  worst,  sir ;  the  side  lights 
have  been  screwed  up,  and  everything  about  the  deck 
is  securely  lashed."  "  She  seems  to  lie  easy  now,  with 
the  help  of  this  aft-sail,  but  I  am  afraid,  with  a  heavy 
sea,  she  might  fall  off  into  the  trough  of  it." 

"  That's  so,  sir,"  responded  the  first  officer.  "  And, 
in  that  case,  we  might  lose  our  boats  and  start  the 
bulkhead."  "We  must  do  our  best;  though  the 
chances  are  against  us." 

Toward  the  night  the  wind  blew  a  gale,  and  the  out- 
look was  gloomy  and  threatening.  The  terrors  of  the 
morning  were  reviving  among  the  passengers.  De 
Luynes,  calm  and  resolute,  his  wife  leaning  on  his  arm, 
was  everywhere  seeking  to  encourage  them.  The  ship 
tumbled  and  rolled  on  the  agitated  waters ;  a  heavy 
sea  washed  the  deck  and  bore  two  unfortunate  sailors  to 


"  WHO   COULD  FORESEE  PERILS!"  137 

destruction.  A  third  clung  to  the  lee-rigging  and  was 
rescued  in  a  stats  of  exhaustion. 

De  Luynes  summoned  his  friends  to  his  cabin  and 
instructed  them  as  to  the  use  of  the  life-preservers. 

"Our  danger  is,"  he  said,  "that  our  ship  may  be 
swamped  in  a  trough  of  the  sea  and  founder.  That 
risk  may  ba  remote,  but  it  is  well  to  prepare  for  it." 

"  The  danger  is  not  imminent,"  remarked  Lord  Bol- 
ton,  "  but  it  is  right  to  adopt  precautions." 

All  this  time  the  ship  was  pitching  and  lurching,  as 
if  each  strain  might  be  her  last ;  everywhere  children 
were  crying,  women  were  moaning  and  screaming,  and 
men  and  women,  more  composed,  were  kneeling ;  some 
in  silent,  others  in  audible,  prayer.  It  was  a  scene 
which  few  have  witnessed,  and,  once  witnessed,  no  one 
can  forget.  There  was  a  universal  bidding  adieu  to 
life  and  a  supplication  for  mercy. 

At  length  the  storm  burst,  the  wind  blew  a  gale,  and 
the  waves  became  rolling  mountains  of  water  ;  yet,  up 
to  this  time,  the  ship  had  kept  her  course,  and  the  sails 
had  assisted  to  steady  her.  The  wind  suddenly  shifted 
and  blew  a  hurricane,  which  made  a  cross-sea.  She 
reeled  and  tumbled,  under  the  strange  pressure,  like 
one  who  was  becoming  weary  in  an  unequal  fight,  and 
was  attacked  by  fresh  enemies ;  twisting  and  turning, 
in  the  fierce  conflict,  she  was  at  length  caught  in  a 
trough  of  the  sea.  It  was  a  peril  from  which  it  seemed 
she  could  never  be  rescued.  The  commotion  on  board 
was  frightful.  Passengers  clung  to  whatever  was  strong 
enough  to  support  them,  or  were  hurled,  helpless  and 
bruised,  along  the  deck.  Some  shrieked  with  pain  from 
their  hurts ;  others  from  the  terror  of  the  surround- 
ings. This  state  of  things  continued  all  night,  but  in  the 


138  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

morning  the  wind  had  moderated,  and  there  was  a 
lull. 

"  Captain,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  clinging  to  a  life-line, 
"  will  you  lower  a  boat  and  allow  me  with  my  compan- 
ions to  put  to  sea  in  her  ?  " 

"  Impossible,"  was  the  reply.  "  No  boat  could  live  in 
this  sea,  and  we  have  neither  men  nor  officers  to  spare." 

"  We  want  no  help,"  urged  Lord  Bolton.  "  Half  a 
dozen  of  us  have  been  in  the  navy  and  can  manage  a 
boat  in  a  storm.  I  would  risk  one  in  the  open  sea 
sooner  than  this." 

The  captain  always  said  in  excuse  afterward  that  he 
had  been  magnetized  by  Lord  Bolton's  vehement  man- 
ner. His  lordship  had  already  gathered  his  friends. 
One  of  the  boats,  that  had  done  service  yesternight, 
was  lowered.  His  friends  at  first  assented  and  then  re- 
fused to  accompany  him.  "  There  is  no  time  to  be 
lost,"  he  said ;  "it  is  a  choice  of  evils."  He  had  trusty 
companions  to  aid  in  managing  the  boat,  and  the 
majesty  of  his  manner  persuaded  them.  The  passen- 
gers looked  on,  but  nobody  would  have  taken  the  risk. 
The  difficulty  of  boarding  her  seemed  insurmountable. 

"  Come  with  us,  De  Luynes,  you  will  be  safer,"  said 
he.  "  The  boat  will  be  well  manned  and  the  chances 
are  a  hundred  to  one  in  our  favor." 

"  Shall  we  go,  Carlotta  ?  " 

"  As  you  like,"  she  responded. 

After  many  attempts,  they  were  finally  successful, 
and  Lord  Bolton's  boat,  manned  by  his  friends  and  laden 
with  his  party,  was  launched  upon  the  turbulent  waters. 

"  Now,  boys,  keep  her  before  the  wind,"  he  cried ; 
"we  are  all  safe  if  you  obey  me;"  and  they  sailed 
away,  and  were  soon  out  of  sight  of  the  ship.  There 


•  WHO  COULD  FORESEE  PERILS  f"  139 

was  no  panic,  such  was  the  magnetic  influence  of  their 
brave  pilot ;  and  there  was  even  little  apprehension. 

On  board  the  ship  things  went  from  bad  to  worse, 
with  no  prospect,  except  of  that  final  relief,  which,  at 
first,  they  had  all  so  much  dreaded.  The  sails  were 
blown  away,  the  sea  had  been  breaking  over  the  ship, 
and  the  water,  rushing  down  the  sky-lights  and  com- 
panion-ways, was  slowly  filling  her.  At  this  moment  a 
steamer  was  reported  coming  toward  them.  Signals  of 
distress  were  hoisted,  and,  to  their  intense  relief,  were 
promptly  answered.  The  reaction  aboard  ship  was 
instantaneous  ;  despair  was  replaced  by  hope  and  even 
confidence,  and  the  emotions  of  the  passengers  were 
scarcely  less  manifest  under  the  latter  conditions  than 
they  had  been  in  the  former. 

The  captain  of  the  sinking  steamer  signalled  his  con- 
dition, and  asked  the  stranger  for  aid.  She  approached 
and  promised  by  signals  to  send  out  boats.  The  boats 
of  the  Alaric,  except  two  on  the  lee-quarter,  were 
washed  away,  as  were  also  her  life-rafts,  and  the  decks 
had  been  swept  of  everything  movable ;  but  torn 
shreds  of  sail  hung  from  the  broken  yards,  and  the 
whistling  of  the  winds  over  the  deck,  and  through  the 
cordage,  was  like  a  concert  of  fiends  in  the  ears  of  the 
imprisoned  passengers.  The  gale  exhausted  itself  in 
fitful  squalls  and  copious  showers,  which  the  sailors 
knew  would  shortly  smooth  the  waters.  On  board  the 
succoring  ship  strong  and  willing  hands  were  at  work 
swinging  out  the  boats  preparatory  to  lowering  them 
for  the  rescue  of  the  doomed  ship's  passengers.  Within 
three  hours,  so  skilfully  had  the  work  been  managed, 
every  man,  woman  and  child  had  been  transferred 
to  the  stranger  vessel,  and  not  too  soon ;  for  scarcely 


140  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

had  an  liour  elapsed  before  the  ill-fated  Alaric,  dipping 
and  plunging,  sank  beneath  the  sea. 

It  was  night  now,  and  darkness  prevailed.  The  res- 
cued passengers  were  safe  on  board  the  good  steamer 
Thiers,  bound  for  Havre.  At  the  suggestion  of  the 
Captain  of  the  Alaric,  the  Thiers  passed  the  night  and  a 
great  part  of  the  next  day  in  a  fruitless  search  for  the 
missing  life-boat.  There  would  be  many  discomforts 
in  a  crowded  ship,  but  the  most  fastidious  would  bear 
them  for  the  sake  of  security  and  rest.  But  where  were 
Lord  Bolton  and  his  friends?  The  most  callous  would 
have  been  glad  to  know,  and  wished  them  kindly. 
Would  they  be  all  lost  ?  Would  they  not  have  been 
safer  to  have  remained  with  the  ship  ? 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"THE  KING  OF  TERIIORS." 

THE  next  morning  was  bright,  but  there  was  a  remi- 
niscence of  the  storm  in  the  agitation  of  the  waters.  A 
life-boat  was  lying  to,  and  a  single  glass  was  seeking  to 
descry  a  saiL  It  was  Lord  Bolton's.  The  night  had 
been  stormy  and  perilous  to  his  frail  craft.  Precious 
lives  had  been  lost ;  and  the  survivors  were  in  mourn- 
ing. Early  the  night  before,  a  dip  of  the  boat  had 
thrown  Miss  Roberts  into  the  sea ;  half  a  dozen  bold 
swimmers  had  leaped  after  her,  but  she  had  not  been 
rescued,  and  only  half  of  those  who  had  gone  to  her 
aid  returned.  Lord  Bolton,  Tom,  Cuthbert,  and  Holt 
were 'saved,  but  two  of  the  young  men,  and  alas!  Do 
Luynes,  who  had  almost  saved  the  young  girl,  and  had 
performed  prodigies  of  daring,  had  finally  succumbed 
and  been  drowned.  Overwhelmed  by  this  calamity, 
Madame  De  Luynes  had  swooned  and  was  still  uncon- 
scious. Such  restoratives  as  they  had,  were  applied 
without  effect,  and  the  greatest  anxiety  was  enter- 
tained. Mrs.  Roberts  was  scarcely  less  overcome. 
Lord  Bolton,  mindful  of  his  responsibilities,  exer- 
cised a  wonderful  self-command,  and  did  everything 
to  give  his  friends  comfort  and  confidence.  In  his 
management  of  the  boat  he  had  displayed  the  skill 
of  a  sailor  and  the  courage  of  a  hero  ;  they  were  well 
provided  with  rations,  but  all  were  anxious  to  sight  a 


142  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

ship,  and  had  been  watching  for  a  sail  the  whole  morn- 
ing. The  ranks  of  the  crew  had  been  sadly  thinned,  and 
those  who  were  left  were  mourners ;  but  they  had  stout 
hearts  and  brawny  arms ;  and  they  made  for  the  west, 
the  sun  and  the  stars  guiding  them,  and  as  the  waves 
would  permit.  Their  invalids  for  some  time  did  not 
improve.  Mrs.  Roberts  had  regained  consciousness, 
but  was  still  suffering  from  nervous  prostration. 
Madame  De  Luynes  remained  in  an  unconscious  state 
and  without  much  sign  of  vitality.  Taken  all  in  all,  it 
was  a  lamentable  outlook,  and  stronger  hearts,  if  one 
could  have  found  them,  might  have  quailed.  But  the 
sea  grew  quieter  as  the  day  wore  on,  and  they  hoisted  a 
sail  and  sped  onward  as  best  they  could. 

Miss  Winthrop  was  unceasing  in  her  attentions  to 
Madame  De  Luynes.  Lord  Bolton  thought  it  better  to 
let  her  rest ;  but  Miss  "Winthrop  feared  that  the  pro- 
longed swoon  would  endanger  her  chances  of  resuscita- 
tion. They  all  expressed  hopes  or  fears,  but  no  one 
could  give  advice  as  to  treatment ;  and  so  it  happened 
that  nature  was  left  to  herself,  and  sometimes  she  is 
the  best  physician.  At  all  events,  while  the  intellect 
was  obscured,  her  deadly  misfortunes  did  not  haunt 
her,  and  returning  consciousness  might  set  her  faculties 
on  edge  and  render  grief  more  wearing  than  prostra- 
tion. She  remained  thus  till  toward  evening,  when  a 
deep  sigh  denoted  returning  animation.  She  spoke, 
but  her  voice  was  hoarse  and  unnatural ;  opening  her 
eyes,  she  regarded  them  with  the  vacant  stare  of  one 
dazad  and  trying  to  remember. 

"  Papa  will  meet  us  at  the  station,  darling,"  she  said ; 
"  he  has  been  waiting  long  for  us,  and,  oh,  how  his  lit- 
tle Ethel  and  mamma  will  love  him !"  There  was  not 


"  THE  KING  OF  TERRORS."  143 

a  dry  eye  among  them.  "  Dear  Maurice,"  she  contin- 
ued, "  how  cruelly  he  has  been  misunderstood  by  his 
enemies  ;  he  only  wanted  to  do  good,  but  they  painted 
him  black  to  his  own  dear  people  whom  he  loved,  and 
they  thwarted  him  at  every  turn.  But  he  was  patient, 
he  never  cursed  them.  '  I  must  render  good  for  evil,' 
he  said  to  me.  Maurice,  darling,  did  I  chide  you  some- 
times ?  "Well,  it's  all  over  now ;  I  was  exacting,  per- 
haps ;  my  love  was  selfish.  Come,  let  us  embrace  and 
forgive  each  other."  Then  she  would  seem  to  fondle 
her  child  and  address  her  dear  friends,  and  finally  she 
lapsed  into  stupor  again. 

"  This  is  dreadful,"  said  Lord  Bolton ;  and  so  they 
passed  the  long  night,  some  of  them  between  waking 
and  sleeping,  others  on  the  watch  and  at  the  tiller. 
Carlotta  alternately  slept  and  wandered ;  but  she  ut- 
tered no  word  to  indicate  consciousness  of  her  sad  be- 
reavement. 

"  Sister  Ethel,"  she  said  once,  "  we  met  a  young  gen- 
tleman in  our  travels,  he  was,  oh,  so  kind !  If  I  had 
been  young  I  should  have  admired  him.  "We  told  him 
about  you." 

Next  morning  a  sail  was  in  view  and  they  tried  to  sig- 
nal her  by  every  means  available.  At  length  she  made 
toward  them,  and  they  felt  that  deliverance  was  near. 
They  were  rescued  and  received  every  kindness  and  at- 
tention. The  relieving  vessel  was  the  good  ship 
Waterloo,  bound  from  Havana  to  Quebec,  and  they 
were  within  two  days  of  the  latter  port.  Lord  Bolton 
looked  at  once  after  the  comfort  of  his  friends.  Mrs. 
Roberts  was  convalescent ;  he  pressed  her  hand  and  left 
her  without  speaking.  She  understood  his  emotion  and 
burst  into  tears. 


144  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  Oh !  my  lost  sister,"  she  said,  "  why  could  you  not 
have  lived  to  make  him  happy  ?  " 

Carlotta  did  not  recognize  him,  but  addressed  him 
as  "  Mons.  le  Cure,"  and  upbraided'him  for  his  animos- 
ity towards  her  husband. 

"If  you  knew  him  as  I  know  him,"  she  said,  "  you 
would  mourn  for  your  mistake  in  having  crushed  him. 
Maurice,"  she  continued,  "  your  mother  has  gone  away. 
You  must  go  and  fetch  her.  Little  Ethel  is  at  home 
now  with  Nora.  The  sweet  child !  we  shall  see  her  to- 
morrow ;  and  oh,  Maurice,  did  I  tell  you,  that  awful 
day,  that  if  you  should  die,  I  would  lie  by  your  side  in 
the  grave  ?  And  so  I  would,  my  precious  husband ; 
where  you  go,  I  must  follow.  *  Thy  people  shall  be  my 
people,  and  thy  God,  my  God.'  " 

Lord  Bolton  left  her  in  tears.  "  The  first  I  have  shed 
for  years,"  he  soliloquized.  "  I  wonder  when  her  eyes 
are  opened,  will  her  heart  be  as  heavy  as  mine  ?  "  He 
found  the  Professor  and  Dr.  Elrnwood  fatigued  but 
comfortable  ;  Col.  Lyons  had  not  accompanied  him  in 
the  boat,  and  his  young  friends  were  about  seeking  that 
rest  which  all  so  sadly  needed.  He  sought  his  cabin, 
and  kneeling,  prayed,  "  Oh,  God,  have  mercy  upon  me  ! 
My  punishment  is  greater  than  I  can  bear.  Lead  me 
to  become  the  almoner  of  charities  in  her  name,  and  to 
such  a  lifetime  of  good  works  as  would  have  been  pleas- 
ing in  her  sight ;  for  I  know  that  upon  my  faithfulness 
in  these  things  it  depends  whether  I  shall  meet  her 
again."  What  vicissitudes  these  weary  sufferers  have 
experienced,  within  the  last  few  hours,  and  yet  what 
mercies  have  been  vouchsafed  to  them  !  Which  one  of 
them  will  remember  all  and  profit  by  them  to  the  end  ? 

And  now    our  travellers   have  retired.      The  great 


"  THE  KING  OF  TERRORS."  145 

strain  has  been  removed ;  exhausted  nature  yields  to 
the  reaction.  Poor  Carlotta,  left  to  the  care  of  her 
maid  and  the  surgeon,  passed  the  time  between  stupor 
and  wandering,  and  the  day  and  the  night  were  un- 
eventful. The  next  morning  broke  bright  and  beauti- 
ful. The  hills  were  visible  in  the  distance,  for  the  ship 
was  navigating  the  broad  bosom  of  the  river.  Telegrams 
would  be  sent  from  the  first  station  to  the  friends  of 
the  rescued.  Lord  Bolton  had  sent  inquiries  after  all 
his  friends.  The  condition  of  the  invalid  continued 
without  change,  but  the  others  of  the  party  were  re- 
freshed and  comforted. 

"  That  scene  yonder  is  magnificent,"  said  Dr.  Elm- 
wood,  pointing  to  the  shore  they  were  nearing,  "  if  one 
had  tli3  heart  to  enjoy  it.  The  altitude  of  the  mount- 
ains S3ems  prodigious,  and  how  beautiful  is  the  varie- 
gated foliage  with  which,  here  and  there,  they  are 
adorned." 

"  Beauties  will  multiply  as  we  ascend  the  river,"  ob- 
served the  Professor,  "  and  reach  the  bounds  of  habita- 
tion and  culture.  On  either  side  are  rich  lands,  pos- 
sessed by  thrifty  habitants,  who  maintain  there  the 
habits  and  customs  which  they  brought  from  France 
generations  ago.  These  settlements  were  originally 
foundod  under  the  feudal  system.  There  were  the 
Lord  and  his  tenant,  the  seigneur  and  his  censitaire.  The 
latter  paid  various  tributes,  and  could  not  even  take  a 
bushel  of  corn  to  be  ground,  except  at  the  mill  of  his 
master." 

"  Is  not  all  that  changed  ?  "  asked  the  Doctor. 

"  Yos,"  was  the  reply,  "  but  you  cannot  in  a  moment 
change  the  consequences  of  an  old  aristocratic  system. 
It  educates  a  people  to  the  idea  of  superiority  on  the 


146  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

one  side  and  to  dependence  on  the  other.  One  class  is 
born  to  command  and  the  other  to  obey,  and  when  you 
destroy  this  system  you  may  only  have  changed  the  yoke. 
The  people  so  trained  are  still  waiting  to  obey,  and 
would  fall  an  easy  prey  to  illegitimate  masters.  Poor 
De  Luynes  had  large  property  down  here,  and  he 
often  spoke  of  these  conditions;  he  complained  that 
the  system  of  education  was  not  calculated  to  elevate 
the  people,  and  he  despaired  of  improvement  while 
matters  remained  as  at  present." 

"He  was  rather  hopeless  of  Lower  Canada,"  said 
Dr.  Elmwood,  "  and  he  was  a  man  of  great  parts  and 
wide  reading." 

"Yes,  Maurice  De  Luynes  was  an  accomplished 
man,"  remarked  the  Professor.  "  I  knew  his  father  by 
reputation,  and  had  even  met  him  in  London  and  in 
Paris.  He  was  a  man  of  rare  gifts,  which  his  son 
seems  to  have  inherited.  His  talents  might  have  been 
of  great  service  in  a  country  where  there  was  inde- 
pendent public  opinion ;  but  here  there  was  no  field 
for  them  in  politics.  Science,  art,  belles-lettres  and 
benevolence,  father  and  son  might  have  pursued  with 
their  ample  means,  and  their  cultivated,  charitable  tastes, 
had  the  restrictions  been  less  galling.  But  the  scope 
was  too  narrow,  and  their  penchant  was  for  public  life. 
The  father  died  of  a  broken  heart,  and  the  son  seemed 
to  have  inherited  his  despondency.  I  had  formed  an 
exalted  opinion  of  him  and  of  his  fitness  for  the  high- 
est occupations.  The  broad  views  which  made  him  un- 
acceptable at  home  would  have  recommended  him  in 
more  tolerant  circles.  The  Imperial  service  might  have 
profited  by  what  his  own  country  lost.  I  hinted 
as  much  to  him,  but  he  did  not  seem  ambitious  of 


"  THE  KING  OF  TERRORS."  147 

distinction,  and  said  that  he  was  too  old  to  begin  a 
new  life.  So  my  views  did  not  prevail." 

"He  has  entered  a  higher  service  now,  poor  fellow," 
said  the  Doctor,  sadly,  "and  from  what  I  hear,  his  wife 
may  soon  follow  him." 

Tom  and  Miss  Winthrop  met  for  the  first  time  since 
their  rescue,  that  morning,  and  at  sight  of  him  she 
burst  into  tears.  "Pray  forgive  my  weakness,"  she 
said  at  length,  "  but  I  am  not  strong  yet,  and  every- 
thing has  been  so  dreadful.  What  shall  I  say  to  my 
brother  ?  How  can  I  comfort  him  ?  " 

"  Great  griefs  are  not  assuaged  with  words,"  replied 
Tom,  "  and  perhaps  you  will  find  guidance  when  you 
have  need.  His  trials  might  have  been  sore,  even  if  no 
accident  had  befallen  us.  He  must  suffer  as  others 
have  suffered,  and  he  will  find  strength  and  aid  where 
others  have  found  them.  Am  I  a  clumsy  comforter? 
And  yet  I  can  pity  him,  for  I  know  what  desolation 
would  have  overwhelmed  my  heart  if  I  had  lost  you." 

Miss  Winthrop  bade  him  be  silent,  but  gave  him  her 
hand.  "  We  must  not  be  selfish,"  she  said ;  "  if  our 
burdens  are  lighter  than  those  of  others,  we  have  so 
much  the  more  sympathy  to  spare.  But  what  can  1 
say  to  my  poor  brother  ?  " 

"  Wait,"  said  Tom,  "  till  ho  comes ;  the  occasion  will 
inspire  you." 

"Will  he  come  here,"  she  asked,  "on  board  the 
ship?" 

"  No,  that  will  be  impossible,  but  he  will  not  lose 
time ;  if  ho  does  not  meet  you  at  Quebec,  I  shall  go 
with  you  to  Boston;  but,  ah,  I  had  forgotten  your 
uncle." 

"  You  shall  come,  my  friend,"  said  the  young  lady, 


148  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  if  my  uncle  and  my  brother  are  both  there.  Who 
can  be  nearer  to  me  than  you,  who  have  shielded  me 
on  this  terrible  voyage  of  death  ?  "  she  added,  passion- 
ately. 

Tom  saw  the  change  with  delight,  but  he  did  not 
notice  it  openly.  "  She  loves  me,"  he  thought,  enrapt- 
ured ;  "  but  I  must  not  press  her  now." 

All  the  other  young  men  were  in  a  group  around  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Koberts,  but  their  sympathy  was  conveyed  by 
looks  rather  than  by  words. 

"  That  is  a  touching  picture,"  said  Dr.  Elmwood  to 
the  Professor,  as  the  sad  group  caught  their  attention. 
"  But  where  is  Bolton  ?  He  was  on  deck  this  morning 
to  inquire  for  us,  but  usually  he  has  clung  to  the  soli- 
tude of  his  cabin ;  his  heart  is  terribly  wrung." 

Holt,  catching  the  last  words,  said,  "Yes,  poor  fel- 
low ;  he  is  dreadfully  broken  and  has  entirely  given  up 
at  last.  He  mastered  himself  with  a  strong  will  while 
his  responsibilities  lasted.  I  never  knew  his  fine  quali- 
ties as  they  have  been  displayed  in  this  great  trial,  though 
I  have  always  admired  him.  Bat  it  is  pitiable  to  see 
him  now." 

"You  should  go  to  him,"  said  the  Professor  to  Dr. 
Elmwood. 

"  I  was  with  him  last  night,"  was  the  reply.  "  He 
was  full  of  reverence  and  resignation ;  it  is  better  to 
leave  him  alone  now  that  his  marvelous  self-command 
has  yielded  to  a  natural  grief.  He  will  find  relief  and 
composure  after  giving  way  to  it.  I  will  seek  him  by- 
and-bye.  He  is  one  to  gather  strength  from  spiritual 
consolation.  He  feels  himself  crushed,  but  he  speaks 
beautifully  of  his  trust  in  Divine  aid,  and  his  longing  to 
lead  that  better  life  which  he  knows  will  draw  him 


"  TEE  KING  OF  TERRORS."  149 

nearer  to  her  whom  lie  has  lost."  "  He  is  less  resigned 
now,"  said  Robert ;  "  he  regards  his  bereavement  as 
punishment,  and  incessantly  mourns  that  it  is  greater 
than  he  can  bear." 

"But  his  sense  of  duty  will  make  him  strong  again," 
observed  the  Doctor.  "  There  are  other  sufferers,  and 
Bolton  is  not  the  man  to  give  way  to  what  he  calls  self- 
ish griefs,  while  others  need  his  assistance." 

"  Yes,  we  are  all  sufferers,"  remarked  Kobert,  "  and 
we  have  all  been  objects  of  his  solicitude.  But  he 
blames  himself  about  the  De  Luynes.  He  says  that 
but  for  him  they  would  have  remained  on  the  Alaric" 

"  And  both  have  been  lost,"  said  a  voice. 

"  Then,  in  grieving  over  the  loss  of  Miss  Roberts," 
continued  Holt,  "  he  fears  that  he  over-persuaded  her  ; 
and  says  that  her  brother,  until  finally  pressed  by  her, 
seemed  unwilling  to  go  in  the  life-boat.  Sometimes  he 
feels  that  he  was  reckless  and  wonders  does  Roberts 
blame  him." 

Roberts  overheard  this,  and  said  to  his  wife  :  ""We 
must  go  to  him,  poor  fellow ;  he  has  behaved  so  nobly 
and  now  he  needs  us." 

"  Miss  Roberts  was  a  noble  character,"  Holt  continued. 

"  And  both  noble  and  lovely  were  the  De  Luynes," 
added  the  Doctor. 

"  Yes.  I  was  intimate  with  Maurice  for  days,  and 
we  spoke  of  many  things  which  I  am  now  glad  to  have 
discussed  with  him.  It  is  strange  how  I  at  first  mis- 
judged him,  but  toward  the  end,  as  I  knew  him  better, 
he  inspired  me  with  a  tender  regard  which  one  man 
rarely  entertains  for  another.  He  was  too  sensitive 
and  deprecatory  of  himself ;  he  regarded  his  life  as  a 
failure  because  he  had  not  won  success  in  a  single  path, 


150  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

but  he  said  that,  in  his  circumstances,  there  was  noth- 
ing left  for  him  of  political  usefulness,  and  that  public 
opinion  was  too  superstitious  and  credulous  to  afford 
him  a  fair  field.  He  was  brought  up  under  the  eye  of 
his  father,  who  had  delegated  to  an  old  friend,  a  Jesuit, 
the  duty  of  instructing  his  boy.  De  Luynes'  quick  per- 
ceptions revolted  against  some  of  the  lessons  he  had 
been  taught,  but  he  found  a  strange  delight  in  others. 
He  had  a  taste  neither  for  exaggerated  humiliations 
and  self-denials,  nor  for  the  unreasoning  obedience 
which  he  was  taught.  His  imagination  was  fascinated 
by  pictures  of  celestial  purity  and  by  the  mystic  phi- 
losophy he  learned ;  but  such  was  the  natural  and  out- 
spoken frankness  of  his  character  that  he  was  in  little 
danger  of  ever  acting  upon  such  teachings  as  would 
lead  him,  for  any  cause,  to  pervert  the  truth,  or 
to  do  evil  that  good  might  come.  The  old  Jesuit  loved 
him,  but,  of  course,  subordinately  to  the  interests  of  his 
Order ;  and  he  marked  out  for  him  a  career  in  life  very 
different  from  that  which  the  young  man  actually  fol- 
lowed. Maurice's  father  watched  the  progress  of  his 
son  with  satisfaction,  for  he  saw  that  he  was  gaining 
knowledge  without  imbibing  a  spirit  of  hostility  to 
liberty.  Finally,  when  he  went  to  Paris  to  complete 
his  education,  he  was  carefully  guarded  from  extremes, 
and  was  trained  to  be,  at  once,  a  loyal  son  of  his 
Church  and  an  earnest  advocate  of  freedom.  He  loved 
the  genius  but  deplored  the  skepticism  of  the  popular 
litterateurs;  and  he  would  have  restrained  the  people 
through  the  influence  of  a  holy  faith  and  the  spiritual 
teachings  of  the  Church,  which  left  them  room  to  think 
and  act  for  themselves  in  matters  public  and  secular. 
I  suggested  that  there  might  be  difficulty  in  drawing 


"  TUE  KING  OF  TERRORS." 

the  line,  but  he  said,  *  No,  there  could  be  nothing  in- 
compatible between  the  service  of  God  and  an  inde- 
pendent and  conscientious  devotion  to  one's  country. 
The  Church  might  denounce  free-thinkers  in  religious 
matters,  but  she  must  not  interfere  with  free  speech 
and  free  opinions  in  the  service  of  the  State.'  He  read 
law  in  Paris,  but  he  frequented  society  at  the  same 
time,  and  perhaps  learned  more  of  the  world  than  of 
jurisprudence.  There,  too,  he  met  Carlotta  Lytton,  of 
Connecticut,  whose  father  had,  at  one  time,  been 
attached  to  the  American  Embassy.  Carlotta  was  a 
New  England  girl,  but  had  spent  some  time  in  France 
with  her  mother's  friends,  and  was  a  favorite  of  society 
there.  The  year  after,  he  married  her,  and  they  took 
up  their  residence  on  his  estate  in  Canada.  About  this 
time  his  father  died  and  left  him  a  large  fortune.  He 
was  ambitious  to  serve  his  people,  and  was  elected  to 
parliament.  But  you  have  learned  from  his  own  lips 
that  he  was  overmatched  and  crushed  by  his  enemies. 
He  made  no  secret  of  his  disappointment,  regarding 
himself  a  victim  of  intolerance  and  bigotry.  The  rest 
you  know.  His  young  wife,  as  you  have  all  seen,  is 
worthy  of  him,  and  may  soon  rejoin  him.  If  she  lives, 
what  sorrow  and  desolation  await  her!  There  is  a 
strange  romance  about  their  child,  the  shock  of  whose 
loss  killed  De  Luynes'  mother  ;  but  I  believe  the  child 
is  safe  and  will  soon  be  restored  to  her  desolate  home." 

"  Truth  is  stranger  than  fiction,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  What  a  sad  romance  it  all  is !  " 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roberts  had  sent  a  message  to  Lord 
Bolton,  desiring  an  interview,  and  he  had  promised  to 
come  to  them  in  an  hour.  He  entered  their  presence 
with  a  firm  step  and  an  air  of  self-control. 


152  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  I  have  sent  for  you,"  said  Mr.  Roberts,  "  because 
my  wife  and  I  felt  that  we  must  see  you ;  but  not  to  in- 
dulge in  any  formal  expressions.  Perhaps,  in  view  of 
our  terrible  loss,  words  are  more  trying  than  solitude. 
You,  who  have  loved  her  so  much,  ought  to  know  that 
sho  was  not  indifferent  to  your  attentions.  You  may 
have  divined  as  much,  but  she  felt  that  in  her  position 
she  could  not  tell  you  all.  After  a  short  acquaintance 
last  winter  my  sister  became  engaged  to  an  excellent 
and  most  promising  young  man.  He  was  impatient 
to  be  married  at  once,  but  though  she  loved  him,  she 
sought  to  postpone  the  marriage.  His  letters  were  im- 
portunate, however,  and  she  finally  consented  to  marry 
him  shortly  after  our  return.  After  her  acquaintance 
with  you,  she  began  to  have  doubts  about  herself,  and 
of  her  real  love  for  George  Winthrop  ;  '  but  I  have 
promised  him,'  she  would  say  to  me,  '  and  I  must  dis- 
cuss this  matter  with  George  before  I  harbor  a  thought 
of  being  disloyal  to  him.  He  is  noble  and  generous 
and  would  release  me,  but  I  am  bewildered  and  miser- 
able. George  and  the  world  might  think  that  wealth 
and  position  had  influenced  me,  and  I  am  bound  in 
honor  to  be  true  to  my  pledge  '  Her  one  idea  was  to 
hide  her  heart  and  be  worthy  of  her  fiance.  Had  she 
lived,  she  would  have  told  you  all  this,  but  now  it  be- 
comes my  duty  to  do  so." 

"  I  knew  it  all,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  "and  I  was  selfish 
to  press  my  attentions ;  she  acted  the  part  of  a 
true  woman.  Under  the  discipline  of  the  last  few 
days,  I  might  have  learned  unselfishness ;  but  as  things 
were,  I  never  could  have  given  her  up  to  another.  "Was 
it  to  rebuke  my  assurance  that  she  was  snatched  from 
me  in  this  dreadful  way?  Does  the  hand  of  a  kind 


"  THE  KINO  OF  TERRORS."  153 

Providence  rule  over  these  things  ?  Oh,  God !  Why 
couldst  Thou  not  in  some  other  way  have  afflicted 
me?"  And  overcome  by  his  emotions  he  sobbed 
aloud.  They  all  wept ;  and  after  a  pause,  Mrs.  Roberts, 
recovering  herself,  placed  her  hand  upon  Lord  Bolton's 
shoulder  and  said :  "  My  dear  friend  : 

"  '  There  is  no  Death!  What  seems  so,  is  transition . 

This  life  of  mortal  breath 

Is  but  a  suburb  of  the  life  elysian, 

Whose  portal  we  call  death. 

"  '  In  that  great  cloister's  stillness  and  seclusion, 
By  guardian  angels  led, 

Safe  from  temptation,  safe  from  sin's  pollution, 
She  lives  whom  we  call  dead.' " 

The  scene  on  either  side  of  the  river  was  beauti- 
ful ;  but  nobody  was  in  a  mood  to  enjoy  it ;  aud  when 
night  set  in,  everybody  gladly  retired  for  the  last 
time  during  this  untoward  voyage.  Next  morning  the 
roofs  and  spires  of  the  old  city  were  visible,  and  as 
the  ship  finally  came  alongside  of  her  wharf,  Miss 
"Wmthrop  espied  her  brother,  and  there  was  mutual 
recognition.  Ethel  Lytton,  with  friends,  was  also  in 
waiting  and  prepared  to  board  the  ship  for  her  sad  in- 
terview, though  not  prepared  for  the  shock  produced 
by  the  condition  of  her  widowed  sister.  Carlotta,  still 
wandering  in  mind,  recognized  no  one,  but  spoke  plain- 
tively of  her  husband  and  child.  She  was  taken  in  lov- 
ing arms  to  a  carriage,  and  was  driven  rapidly  to  her 
desolate  home,  which  she  called  an  hotel,  and  in  which 
she  expected  Maurice  and  little  Ethel  soon  to  join  her. 
Lord  Bolfcon  and  Holt  followed  to  make  inquiries  and 
to  offer  assistance,  and  met  Miss  Lytton,  who  was 
7* 


154  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

strangely  calm  and  self-possessed.  The  doctor  was  with 
her  sister,  and  had  less  fear  for  her  life  than  for  her 
reason;  but  all  thought  unconsciousness  a  mercy, 
so  dreadful  would  have  been  her  condition  had  she 
realized  all  her  loss. 

At  this  moment  a  cable  was  handed  Miss  Lytton,  ad- 
dressed to  Maurice  De  Luynes.  She  was  overcome  for 
the  moment.  Robert's  quick  eye  caught  the  situation, 
and  he  asked  politely  to  be  allowed  to  read  it  to  her.  It 
was  from  Gustave.  Little  Ethel  was  found  safe  and 
well,  and  would  return  with  him  by  the  next  steamer. 

"  Be  tranquil,  I  can  explain  it  all,"  he  said,  and  he 
told  her  of  Gustave's  interview  with  Maurice  and  his 
own  relations  to  the  child. 

"  She  will  be  here  in  a  week,"  said  Miss  Lytton, 
much  excited.  "  You  have  saved  her ;  pray  remain 
with  us  till  she  arrives." 

Holt  readily  assented. 

"  You  will  stay  with  me,  Bolton,"  he  said. 

"With  all  my  heart,  if  you  desire  it,"  and  addressing 
Miss  Lytton,  he  added ;  "  I  have  a  superstitious  faith 
that  the  arrival  of  the  child  will  restore  the  mother ;  I 
have  known  such  things." 

"  God  grant  that  it  may  be  so,"  she  said,  nervously. 

As  the  visitors  were  taking  their  leave,  Miss  Lytton 
and  her  friends  pressed  them  to  take  up  their  lodgings 
at  the  mansion. 

"  This  is  no  place  to  accept  hospitalities,"  consider- 
ately remarked  Lord  Bolton ;  "  we  can  remain  only  if 
we  may  be  of  service." 

"  If  it  would  not .  incommode  you,"  said  the  young 
lady,  "  you  would  gratify  me  by  remaining.  I  cannot 
regard  you  as  strangers." 


"  THE  KING   OF  TERRORS."  155 

So  it  was  arranged  that  they  should  return  later. 
Their  luggage  was  lost,  and  a  fresh  wardrobe  must  be 
provided.  But  that  night  they  slept  under  what  had 
been  the  roof  of  Maurice  De  Luynes. 

There  was  no  change  in  Carlotta's  condition  ;  the  first 
impression  of  the  physician  was  confirmed,  that  her  life 
was  not  in  danger  but  that  her  reason  was  overthrown. 
A  severe  illness,  a  sudden  shock,  or,  time  might  restore 
her ;  but  at  present  quiet  and  good  nursing  were  all  that 
were  needed.  An  uncle  and  aunt  of  De  Luynes  were 
in  the  house  with  Miss  Lytton,  and  occasionally  friends 
and  relations  stayed  for  a  few  days  at  the  mansion, 
but  the  care  of  the  stricken  household  fell  upon  her. 
The  young  lady  was  equal  to  her  responsibilities. 
She  had  been  carefully  trained  for  such  emergencies, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  her  polite  education  had  not 
been  neglected. 

"  What  a  beautiful  girl,"  both  her  guests  exclaimed 
as  she  retired,  and  left  them  for  the  first  time  alone 
together. 

"  How  she  resembles  her  sister,"  Lord  Bolton  said. 
"  Except  that  she  has  a  younger  and  more  cheery  look, 
I  would  swear  that  she  was  Madame  De  Luynes." 

"Yes,  Maurice  told  me  that,"  Holt  observed,  "almost 
the  last  time  we  spoke  together  on  the  Alaric." 

"  Poor  Maurice  !  "  said  Lord  Bolton  ;  "  how  little  he 
dreamed  of  what  was  in  store  for  his  '  dear  Carlotta,'  as 
he  called  her." 


CHAPTEE  XV, 

"DE  LUYNES   HONOEED   IN  DEATH." 

left  Miss  Winthrop  and  her  brother  at  the  ship. 
Their  meeting  was  quiet  but  affectionate,  and  they 
reserved,  till  they  should  be  alone,  the  sorrowful 
explanations  which  he  expected.  George  Winthrop 
was  a  tall,  handsome  young  man,  with  fine  features  and 
a  commanding  presence.  Miss  Winthrop  presented  him 
hastily  to  the  Professor  and  Tom,  and  they  all  went  to 
the  hotel  together. 

"As  we  have  no  baggage,"  said  Cuthbert,  "Boniface 
will  require  a  deposit  in  cash." 

If  this  observation  was  intended  as  a  joke  the  re- 
mark fell  unheeded.  George  explained  to  his  sister 
that  his  uncle  Horace  was  in  Washington,  but  could 
not  come  for  a  day  or  two,  although  he  had  telegraphed 
kind  greetings.  The  whole  party  was  anxious  to  leave, 
though  none  of  them  had  been  in  Quebec  before  ;  they 
were  in  no  mood,  however,  for  sight-seeing,  and  had 
little  desire  to  remain.  They  would  all  travel  together 
as  far  as  Montreal,  where  they  would  separate,  some 
going  to  New  York,  others  to  Boston.  Dr.  Elmwood 
decided  to  accompany  his  niece,  and  Tom  determined 
to  go  on  with  his  father.  "  They  could  go  up  the  river 
to  Montreal,"  Tom  said,  "  which  they  might  reach  by 
steamer  in  the  morning,  or  they  could  go  comfortably 
by  rail  in  five  hours." 


"DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH.  157 

"  I  vote  for  the  cars,"  cried  Miss  Winthrop.  "  Let  us 
have  variety,  even  in  our  perils." 

"Yes,  just  for  once,"  said  Fred,  aside ;  "  I'd  rather  be 
shattered  than  smothered." 

It  was  agreed  that  Tom  should  pay  his  respects  at 
the  De  Luynes  mansion,  to  make  inquiries,  and  after 
that  they  should  leave  in  an  hour.  "  It  is  such  a 
short  job  to  pack,"  said  Fred  ;  so  they  left  without  see- 
ing anything  of  the  classic  and  historic  city. 

That  night  they  rested  safely  at  Montreal  in  a  magnif- 
icent hotel,,  which  could  not  be  surpassed  in  comfort  by 
any  hostelry  they  would  afterwards  visit.  Early  next 
morning  they  pursued  their  journey,  and  the  following 
night,  Dr.  Elmwood,  with  George  and  his  sister  arrived 
at  their  uncle's  in  Boston ;  while  the  Professor,  with 
Tom  and  his  friends,  took  fashionable  quarters  in  New 
York. 

The  newspapers  were  filled  with  sensational  accounts 
of  the  loss  of  the  ill-fated  Alaric,  and  the  trials  and 
escapes  of  the  rescued  passengers.  A  few  days  later, 
the  safe  arrival  of  the  Thiers  was  telegraphed  from 
Havre,  and  all  the  passengers  were  reported  well.  The 
worst  was  now  known,  and  a  sense  of  relief  followed. 

"We  must  leave  the  Professor  and  his  friends  to  the 
quiet  and  rehabilitation  they  needed.  Meantime,  Lord 
Bolton  and  Kobert  were  still  at  the  De  Luynes  man- 
sion, whose  mistress  continued  in  the  same  unsatisfac- 
tory condition. 

Ottawa  is  the  capital  of  Canada,  two  or  three  hun- 
dred miles  above  Quebec,  and  there  the  Yice-Kegal 
family  generally  resides ;  at  some  seasons,  however, 
the  old  military  castle  or  citadel  of  Quebec,  is  occupied 
by  the  Queen's  representative.  Lord  Lester  was  there 


158  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

now,  and  had  tendered  hearty  hospitalities  to  Lord 
Bolton  and  Robert,  which  they,  for  obvious  reasons,  had 
politely  declined.  They  called  to  pay  their  respects, 
however,  and  found  the  Governor  full  of  sympathy. 
Her  Excellency,  the  Countess,  though  a  person  of  very 
exalted  rank  in  her  own  right,  was  full  of  womanly  sym- 
pathy and  went  herself  each  day  to  inquire  after 
Madame  De  Luynes,  and  tendered  Miss  Lytton  every 
assistance  possible.  At  first,  she  had  insisted  upon 
visiting  the  patient  personally,  but  Carlotta  did  not  rec- 
ognize her,  though  they  had  known  each  other  well. 

"  The  city,  with  its  environs,  is  beautiful,"  said  Lord 
Bolton  to  Holt,  one  fine  morning,  as  they  were  strolling 
together,  "  and  we  ought  to  visit  some  of  its  principal 
sights." 

"  It  is  classic  ground  in  North  America,  but  I  have 
no  heart  for  all  that,"  replied  Holt.  "  To  my  mind  it  is 
chiefly  distinguished,  now,  as  the  home  of  the  loveliest 
and  most  unhappy  of  women." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  his  companion ;  "  wlien  will  the 
child  come  ?  My  prophetic  spirit  tells  me  that  the  lit- 
tle one  will  restore  the  mother.  But,  upon  what  deso- 
lation will  she  open  her  eyes !  The  ship  is  due  to-mor- 
row, and  we  shall  soon  see  the  little  Ethel.  With  what 
charming  tact  Miss  Lytton  manages  everything;  she 
was  made  for  such  occasions  as  this ;  she  has  a  strong 
head  and  a  tender  heart." 

"  I  am  told  that  the  tone  of  the  press  here,  French 
and  English,  has  been  generally  friendly  to  De  Luynes," 
said  Lord  Bolton,  "  while,  what  they  call  the  Rouge,  or 
Radical  press,  is  full  of  encomium  and  panegyric.  Two 
or  three  newspapers,  it  is  said,  however,  have  heaped 
obloquy  on  poor  Maurice  in  his  watery  sepulchre  ;  but 


"DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH."  159 

human  nature  is  nowhere  altogether  free  from  mean- 
ness, and  you  may  everywhere  find  some  vile  creature 
who  would  be  willing  to  carry  his  animosities  beyond 
the  grave.  There  is  to  be  a  public  funeral,  I  learn ; 
they  were  a  little  slow  about  it,  but  the  people  are  now 
taking  it  in  hand,  and  so  the  authorities  are  beginning 
to  move.  There  is  an  article,  I  should  think  very  full 
and  fair,  on  Maurice  De  Luynes,  in  the  morning  paper, 
which  fell  into  my  hands  last  night.  It  concludes  by 
quoting  these  beautiful  lines : 

"  '  Tender  as  woman  ;  manliness  and  meekness 

In  him  were  so  allied 
That  they  who  judged  him  by  his  strength  or  weakness, 

Saw  but  a  single  side. 
Men  failed,  betrayed  him,  but  his  zeal  seemed  nourished 

By  failure  and  by  fall. 
Still,  a  large  faith  in  human-kind  he  cherished 

And  in  God's  love  for  all . 
But  now  he  rests  ;  his  greatness  and  his  sweetness 

No  more  shall  seem  at  strife  ; 
And  death  has  moulded  into  calm  completeness 

The  statue  of  his  life.'  " 

The  next  day  Gustave  arrived  with  little  Ethel.  Who 
cannot  picture  to  himself  the  delight  of  the  friends  who 
welcomed  her,  or  the  terrible  shock  to  Gustave  himself, 
when  he  heard  that  De  Luynes  was  no  more.  They  had 
been  cousins  by  blood  as  well  as  brothers  in  affection. 
He  was  so  stunned  that  the  state  of  Madame  De  Luynes 
scarcely  interested  him,  and  his  solicitude  for  the  child 
for  the  moment  ceased  ;  but  he  was  soon  aroused  again. 

Little  Ethel  shrank  from  the  transport  of  those  around 
her,  but  responded  to  Holt,  and  clung  to  him.  All  were 
overcome  with  emotion,  and  yet,  the  greatest  trial  was 


160  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

still  to  come — the  presentation  to  the  mother  of  her 
child.  Carlotta  sat  in  an  easy  chair  ;  they  told  her  they 
were  bringing  little  Ethel  to  her.  Holt  entered  with 
the  baby  in  his  arms. 

"  Here  is  your  little  Ethel,"  said  her  sister. 

"  No,  Ethel  is  not  here ;  she  has  gone  with  Maurice 
for  his  mother." 

Holt  cama  nearer,  and  the  child  made  a  spring  for 
some  flowers  on  the  table  at  her  mother's  elbow,  and 
the  vase  fell  with  a  crash. 

Carlotta  sprang  to  her  feet  with  excitement  and 
vaguely  regarded  the  ruin.  Then,  looking  at  the  child, 
"  Lcs  yeux  sont  beaux,"  she  murmured. 

The  doctor  motioned  them  to  take  the  child  away, 
and  she  was  not  affected  by  its  absence.  For  that  day  the 
trial  failed.  Robert  returned  to  the  library  and  de- 
clined all  offers  to  relieve  him  of  the  little  one. 

"  I  have  often  caressed  her,"  he  said  to  Miss  Lytton, 
"  when  I  thought  she  was  likely  to  become  mine  by 
adoption.  I  am  very  fond  of  her  ;  I  am  glad  to  see  her 
in  her  own  home,  and  I  wish  that  home  were  happier ; 
but  it  will  be  painful  to  me  to  give  her  up.  How  the 
dear  little  thing  nestled  into  my  heart  when  I  first  found 
her  in  the  police  station  in  London." 

"You  have  never  told  me  about  that,"  remarked  Miss 
Lytton. 

"  I  thought  I  had,"  said  Holt,  musingly,  and  then  he 
remembered  that  it  was  only  to  poor  Maurice  he  had 
related  the  full  particulars.  "  When  you  have  time  I 
shall  tell  you  all  the  sad  story,  Miss  Lytton,  and  you 
will  not  be  surprised  that  I  grew  to  believe  that  this 
child's  destiny  and  mine  were  strangely  entangled." 

"  Tell  me  now,  Mr.  Holt." 


"DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH."  101 

Then  he  repeated  to  her  the  sad  story  he  had  related 
to  Maurice,  and  the  conditions  under  which  he  had  told 
it  to  him. 

"And  did  Maurice  know  little  Ethel  was  lost?  "  in- 
quired Miss  Lytton. 

"  Yes,  from  Gustave,  who  met  him  at  sea,  but  who 
believed  she  was  saved,  from  what  I  told  him,  and  from 
this  portrait  which  he  saw,"  answered  Holt,  handing 
her  Ethel's  likeness. 

"How  wonderful!  "  she  said,  thoughtfully,  "  and  yet 
how  dreadful !  What  joy  there  would  have  been  in  this 
house  to-day  if  poor  Maurice  could  have  lived  to  wel- 
come his  child.  No  wonder  dear  Carlotta  lost  her  rea- 
son with  all  these  accumulated  horrors." 

"  She  knew  nothing  of  the  child's  loss,"  said  Holt, 
"  or  of  its  recovery.  Maurice  kept  all  that  to  himself." 

"  The  noble  man,"  she  said;  "and  so  he  died  with  the 
secret  locked  in  his  heart,  for  the  sake  of  her  whom  he 
would  not  let  the  winds  of  heaven  visit  too  roughly,  and 
yet  his  death  was  more  dreadful  to  her  than  all.  'L'hom- 
me  propose  ct  Dieu  dispose'  But  I  must  go  to  my  sister.  My 
more  than  brother,"  she  continued,  weeping,  and  giving 
him  her  hand,  "  in  her  name  and  for  myself,  I  thank  you." 

The  nurse  took  the  child,  and  after  dispatching  a 
cable  to  his  aunt,  Holt  left  the  house.  He  met  Lord 
Bolton  just  returning  from  the  Citadel. 

"  Lester  tells  me  he  has  heard  of  Prof.  Conant,"  said 
his  Lordship,  "  and  that  New  York  is  to  give  him  a 
great  public  reception  in  a  few  days.  Lester  will  be 
present  and  is  anxious  we  should  join  him." 

"  It  would  surprise  me  if  the  Professor  were  not  heartily 
welcomed  in  America,"  observed  Holt ;  "  his  magnificent 
tribute  to  her  greatness,  in  his  speech  the  other  day, 


162  PROFESSOR  COFANT. 

and  his  life-long  friendship  for  her  institutions, 
should  have  endeared  his  name  to  that  people.  The 
Americans  are  not  ungrateful,  however,  to  their  friends 
abroad,  though  they  are  perhaps  over  sensitive  to 
criticism ;  but  then,  they  are  so  often  criticised  in  an 
unfriendly  way  at  home  by  those  who  fear  that  our 
people  may  envy  their  prosperity  and  imitate  their 
management  of  public  affairs." 

"  England,  too,  suffers  criticism  at  the  hands  of 
Americans,"  replied  Lord  Bolton.  "  The  two  countries 
are  friendly,  but  each  contains  a  class  of  busy-bodies 
and  mischief-makers  who  live  by  propagating  rancor 
and  ill-will.  The  oftener  there  can  be  demonstra- 
tions in  both  countries  calculated  to  promote  mutual 
good-will  the  better.  We  do  not  quarrel  with  the  man 
whom  we  are  proud  to  entertain ;  and  friendly  inter- 
course may  protect  us  from  hostilities." 

"  Prof.  Conant  is  the  man  for  the  occasion,"  said 
Holt.  "  I  wish  the  President  could  be  received  among 
the  people  of  every  town  and  hamlet  in  England." 

"  I  am  of  no  use  here,  Robert,  and  I  am  ill  at  ease," 
continued  Lord  Bolton;  "I  propose  to  start  to-morrow 
and  join  the  Professor  and  Tom.  Do  you  know  it  was 
my  suggestion  that  Tom  should  come  to  America  with 
his  father  ?  Life,  as  he  will  see  it,  will  be  so  different 
from  that  seen  by  an  ordinary  traveller.  From  beginning 
to  end,  this  trip  will  be  full  of  lessons  to  him,  with  his 
father  always  at  hand  to  modify  and  apply  them.  There 
is  good  stuff  in  that  boy,  but  the  life  he  is  living  is  not 
calculated  to  make  the  best  of  him.  Society  has  its  uses, 
but  with  young  fellows  of  promise  the  frivolous  age 
should  be  short,  and  I  think  Tom  ought  to  have  passed  it. 
'He  might  aspire  to  anything  in  a  political  way,  and  make 


DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH."          163 

his  visit  to  America  liis  first  step.  Social  and  popular 
forces  here  present  themselves  as  they  do  in  England, 
but  their  activities  may  be  witnessed  from  various  points 
of  view,  and  the  same  problems  are  solved  in  different 
ways.  The  '  why  and  the  wherefore  '  he  needs  to  learn, 
and  his  present  experience  should  help  him.  A  British- 
er, cramped  and  prejudiced  by  insular  restrictions, 
may  have  many  good  points,  but  let  his  views  be 
broadened  by  contact  with,  and  comprehension  of, 
the  world,  and  you  have  another  and  more  civilized 
creature.  This  is  doubly  true  of  the  Englishman,  as  he 
follows  the  institutions  of  his  own  country  in  America, 
where  his  own  race  has  transplanted  and  nourished 
them.  He  studies  the  whole  machinery  of  government, 
as  it  seems  to  have  sprung  from  his  own  books,  and  as 
it  has  been  enlarged  and  modified  by  the  conditions  of 
the  New  "World.  I  wanted  to  impress  all  this  upon 
Tom,  but  I  have  been  prevented ;  it  is  no  child's  play 
the  work  he  ought  to  do  during  his  visit ;  after  all,  he 
will  find  such  work  more  pleasant  than  the  mere  frivol- 
ities which  otherwise  might  engross  him." 

"  I  expect  Tom  is  likely  to  have  pleasanter  occupation 
in  America  just  now,"  said  Robert ;  ''and  even  if  things 
were  serious,  I  would  not  forbid  the  banns.  I  believe 
with  you  that  he  has  a  career  before  him,  which  an 
early  marriage  with  such  a  woman  would  not  retard. 
His  indolence  is  his  only  fault ;  you  should  speak  to 
him,  Lord  Bolton.  After  his  father  no  living  man  could 
influence  him  like  yourself." 

"  I  have  always  loved  and  admired  him,"  was  the 
answer,  "  and  I  doubt  not  he  has  force  enough  to  form 
his  career  ;  his  father  has  been  too  lenient  with  him ; 
all  he  needs  is  an  inducement ;  perhaps  the  examples 


164  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

he  will  see  and  the  attachments  he  will  form  in  America 
will  help  him.  At  any  rate,  we  will  talk  to  him  and  to 
his  father  too.  I  do  not  despair  of  seeing  Capt.  Tom 
Conant  a  great  and  useful  man.  I  am  convinced  he  has 
no  taste  for  the  army,  Holt ;  it  might  be  all  right  for  him 
during  the  engrossing  occupations  of  war,  and  Capt. 
Tom  Conant  on  a  peace  footing  would  be  a  gem  in 
society  ;  but  he  would  not  too  often  adorn  the  haunts 
of  the  studious,  nor  pry  into  the  mysteries  which  only 
intense  application  could  solve.  He  will  inherit  great 
wealth  on  his  mother's  side,  and  that  prospect  will  not 
push  him  to  work."  On  the  next  street  they  met  his 
Worship,  the  Mayor,  who  had  come  lately  to  office,  and 
whom  they  had  met  casually  before.  That  functionary, 
like  many  of  his  countrymen,  was  strongly  impressed  in 
the  presence  of  an  English  Lord.  He  had  grown  rich 
in  an  humble  way,  and  had  some  time  before  risen  to  the 
dignity  of  an  Alderman.  He  was  ambitious,  without 
many  qualifications,  and  he  had  the  Commons  and  the 
Senate  in  his-  eye,  but  it  had  happened  that  a  predeces- 
sor in  office  had  been  knighted  and  his  dream,  like  that 
of  his  Lady  Mayoress  was,  that  some  day  he  might  kneel 
before  the  Queen's  representative,  and  rise  up,  Sir  Peter 
McGinn  !  And  it  was  not  at  all  unlikely  that  good  Mrs. 
McGinn  would  before  long  flourish  in  society  as  '  My 
Lady,'  and  look  down  from  her  high  eminence  upon 
those  who  had  been  her  companions  in  the  service  of  a 
neighboring  pastry-cook's  shop,  only  a  few  years  before. 
No  doubt  many  cooks  would  better  grace  the  position 
than  some  who  have  occupied  it,  and  if  these  aristo- 
cratic distinctions  are  to  be  regarded  as  indigenous 
in  our  democratic  soil,  it  would  not  be  strange  to  see 
them  fitfully  conferred. 


"BE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATU."  165 

"  Good  morning,  my  Lord.  I  was  going  to  your  Lord- 
ship ;  I  hope  your  Lordship  is  well,"  said  the  Mayor, 
approaching  them  cautiously.  "I  seen  you  coming  this 
way  and  ventured  to  intercept  you.  I  was  dining  at 
his  excellency's  last  night,  and  his  Lordship  told  me 
that  your  Lordship  and  his  Honor,  Mr.  Holt,  were 
about  leaving  the  city.  I  wanted  to  speak  with  you 
five  minutes,  my  Lord." 

"Let  us  go  to  our  rooms,"  said  Lord  Bolton,  with 
just  a  perceptible  effort  at  recovering  his  breath  ;  "  the 
morning  is  too  cold  to  stand  here." 

"  I  expect  my  carriage,"  said  the  Mayor  pompously ; 
"  would  your  Lordship  join  me  in  a  drive  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Robert,  "  it  is  only  a  walk  of  ten 
minutes." 

"  This  dreadful  business  of  poor  De  Luynes  is  what 
I  come  to  your  Lordship  about,"  observed  the  Mayor, 
when  they  were  seated.  "  The  city  council  would  not 
have  allowed  your  Lordship  (nor  would  your  Lordship's 
humble  servant  have  permitted  them,)  to  remain  in  the 
city  without  any  attention  in  ordinary  times ;  but  we 
have  been  overcome  by  those  terrible  things,  my  Lord. 
De  Luynes  was  one  of  our  foremost  men,  my  Lord, 
though  it  was  true  there  was  them  as  went  against  him. 
The  common  people  are  excited ;  your  Lordship  knows 
they  are  more  independent  and  difficult  to  manage 
in  the  cities  than  in  the  rural  parts ;  but  they  say  he 
was  wronged  and  crushed,  and  they  want  to  honor 
him,  my  Lord,  by  a  public  funeral,  and  a  dozen 
societies  of  which  he  was  a  patron  are  moving,  and 
wo  have  decided  that  the  city  must  give  him  a  public 
funeral ;  and  we  want  to  know  if  your  Lordship  and 
his  Honor,  being  as  you  was  his  friends  and  fellow- 


166  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

passengers,  would  honor  the  occasion  by  your  presence 
as  bearers." 

Lord  Bolton  informed  the  Mayor  that  any  attention  to 
the  memory  of  De  Luynes  would  engage  their  sympathy ; 
though  it  would  be  as  a  mourner  only  that  he  would  wish 
to  go.  He  added,  however,  it  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  remain  so  long  in  the  city. 

Robert  asked  him,  "  Was  there  really  a  reaction  in 
favor  of  De  Luynes  ?  " 

"  Very  strong,  yer  Honor,"  said  the  Mayor. 

"  And  would  it  strengthen  De  Luynes'  political  friends 
in  the  country  ?  "  Kobert  continued. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  the  Mayor,  thrown  off  his  guard  (for 
he  was  not  one  of  them).  "  There  will  be  a  short-lived 
excitement  in  the  city,  but  the  rural  districts  will  be  as 
solid  as  ever.  Considering  who  were  his  enemies,  M. 
De  Luynes  had  undertaken  impossible  work." 

"  The  time  will  come,  as  it  has  come  in  all  countries," 
said  Holt,  "  where  abuses  have  prevailed  under  a 
smothered  public  opinion,  that  they  will  be  destroyed. 
Some  infuriated  rabble  will  do  it,  perhaps,  but  if  they 
had  been  fairly  trained  in  constitutional  matters  they 
might  have  d6ne  better  work  in  a  less  objectionable 
way." 

Later  in  the  day  they  met  a  Senator,  an  accomplished 
and  sympathetic  French  Canadian  gentleman.  He 
spoke  tenderly  of  De  Luynes,  of  his  many  gifts  and 
manifold  virtues.  They  had  been  schoolmates  and 
friends,  and  he  was  much  affected  at  the  harrowing 
misfortune  that  had  befallen  him. 

"My  countrymen  will  never  cease  to  thank  you, 
gentlemen,  for  the  kindness  and  attention  you  have 
shown  this  unfortunate  family.  "We  all  regret  that  the 


"DE  LUYNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH."  167 

sad  circumstances  prevent  us  showing  our  gratitude  in 
a  more  demonstrative  "way,  but  we  all  know  tlie  whole 
story  and  shall  never  forget  you." 

Our  friends  saw  and  conversed  with  other  kindly 
people  and  were  impressed  with  the  tenderness  of 
sympathy  displayed  for  De  Luynes  and  his  stricken 
family. 

The  next  morning,  Lord  Bolton  and  Robert  Holt  took 
their  leave,  having  expressed  the  greatest  anxiety  for 
Carlotta's  condition,  the  former  persisting  in  his  belief 
that  her  reason  would  be  shortly  regained.  It  was  ar- 
ranged that  Miss  Lytton  would  write  to  Bobert  inform- 
ing him  of  the  condition  of  her  sister  and  the  child. 

At  New  York  they  found  the  Professor  much  re- 
'freshed  and  Tom  full  of  enthusiasm  about  the  city. 
Fred  Cuthbert,  they  also  learned,  already  knew  many 
people,  and  had  been  installed  at  many  fashionable  clubs. 

"  If  these  are  what  you  call  vulgar  people,"  said  Fred, 
"  commend  me  to  luxury  and  vulgarity." 

The  Professor  had  accepted  an  invitation  to  a  recep- 
tion in  one  of  the  great  hotels  for  which  New  York  is 
famous,  and  the  newspapers,  by  copious  notes  and  com- 
ments, were  indicating  that  the  affair  would  be  magnif- 
icent and  enthusiastic. 

"  I  have  been  telling  Tom  that  I  am  a  little  nervous 
about  this  new  character  of  the  distinguished  foreigner 
in  which  I  am  to  appear,"  remarked  the  Professor, 
"  and  I  am  afraid  I  have  not  the  ready  tact  to  sus- 
tain it." 

Lord  Bolton  and  Holt  reassured  him,  and  both  de- 
clared, what  they  had  said  before  in  our  presence,  that 
tho  Professor  was  the  man,  and  America  the  country, 
for  such  a  demonstration. 


168  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  You  have  paid  so  many  eloquent  tributes  to  these 
people  at  home,"  said  Lord  Bolton ;  "  have  defended 
them  so  bravely  in  former  years  when  they  were 
attacked ;  have  shown  such  trust  in  their  free  institu- 
tions, and  faith  in  their  ability  to  maintain  them,  that 
you  have  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  enviable  repu- 
tation which  America  bears  among  the  European 
masses,  and  these  people  honor  themselves  by  the 
honor  they  are  to  confer  upon  you." 

"That  is  what  I  tell  my  father,"  said  Tom,  "but  he 
is  so  modest,  and  laughs  at  the  idea  of  a  single  man 
having  been  able  to  do  anything  toward  earning  the 
gratitude  of  a  foreign  country." 

"I  have  made  some  charming  acquaintances  here  and 
renewed  some  old  ones,"  observed  the  Professor.  "The 
great  kindness  I  have  received,  so  far,  makes  me  feel  that 
I  have  fallen  among  a  nation  of  friends.  But  I  have  a 
letter  from  your  aunt ;  would  you  like  to  read  it  ? 

Tom  was  greatly  puzzled  by  its  mysteries." 

"You  are  a  jolly  old  fraud,  Robert,"  said  Tom,  "with 
your  mysterious  children  and  charities.  Why  did  not 
you  and  mother  tell  me  about  that  infant  when  we  were 
at  Brighton  ?  " 

"You  were  interested  in  a  grown-up  infant  at 
Brighton,  if  I  remember." 

"But  one  does  not  like  to  be  kept  in  the  dark." 

"  Well,  you  know  it  all  now  ;  "  said  the  Professor, 
"  and  it  is  too  late  to  make  amends  ;  "  and  he  handed 
Holt  Mrs.  Conant's  letter.  It  was  a  kindly  and  affect- 
ionate epistle,  full  of  social  and  domestic  news.  It  con- 
tained tender  messages  to  Tom,  to  whom  she  promised 
to  write  in  a  day  or  two,  and  then  Robert's  eye  rested 
on  the  following : — "  Tell  Robert  Holt,  with  my  love, 


"DE  LUTNES  HONORED  IN  DEATH:'  169 

that  his  child  has  been  tenderly  nursed  and  is  well,  but 
a  strange  thing  happened  to-day ;  a  Frenchman,  who 
says  he  is  from  Canada,  called  at  Robert's  house  this 
morning  while  I  was  there,  and  presented  a  scrawl  in 
pencil,  purporting  to  be  from  Robert  on  ship  board. 
It  was  evidently  in  his  hand-writing,  bidding  us  let  the 
stranger  see  the  child,  and  deliver  it  to  him,  if  he  recog- 
nized and  claimed  it.  The  stranger  declared  that  the 
child  belonged  to  Maurice  De  Luynes,  a  gentleman  of 
quality  residing  in  Quebec,  who  was  with  his  wife  on 
board  the  Alaric  with  you  all  going  out.  He  pretended 
that  he  had  boarded  your  ship  at  sea,  and  had  taken 
his  orders  from  the  father  of  the  infant  and  from  Robert. 
It  seemed  an  improbable  story,  but  he  recognized  the 
child  and  claimed  her.  The  note  might  have  been 
forged ;  why  had  not  Robert  sent  me  some  token  ?  "Was 
it  usual  for  vessels  to  lie  alongside  to  allow  passengers 
to  go  on  board?  And  yet  the  young  man  seemed  a 
gentleman,  and  if  he  demanded  the  child,  what  had  I 
to  oppose  to  Robert's  order,  which  I  must  admit  seemed 
to  be  genuine  ?  I  thought  of  cabling  you,  but  there 
might  be  delays,  and  when  I  appealed  to  friends  hero 
they  were  unable  to  advise  me.  The  child,  moreover, 
almost  seemed  to  recognize  the  stranger,  and  the  like- 
ness he  had  brought  was  perfect.  Nevertheless,  I 
was  irresolute,  and  my  dreams  were  disturbed.  How 
did  I  know  the  motive  which  might  prompt  others  in 
seeking  to  obtain  possession  of  the  poor  little  one  ?  It 
might  be  another  abduction ;  of  course,  the  nurse 
would  go  with  it,  but  what  do  I  know  about  her?  Well, 
I  adopted  the  only  course  that  seemed  open  to  me.  I 
gave  up  the  child,  but  I  will  send  our  good  old  servant, 
John,  on  a  confidential  mission,  with  instructions  to 
8 


170  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

keep  watch  of  the  little  one,  till  he  knows  it  is  safely 
delivered.  Of  course,  he  must  go  in  disguise  ;  neither 
the  nurse  nor  the  stranger  must  know  it.  Heigho !  it 
has  been  a  weary  business  ;  I  dreaded  to  part  with  the 
little  thing,  though  I  do  believe  it  is  all  right ;  but  I 
shall  send  John  as  a  precaution." 

"  Strange,  I  didn't  see  John,"  said  Robert,  looking 
up,  to  find  in  his  abstraction,  that  everybody  had  left 
the  room  without  his  notice. 


CHAPTEE  XVI. 

THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONT. 

MEANTIME,  the  visit  of  Prof.  Alexander  Conant,  M.P., 
of  England,  was  exciting  wide  attention  and  universal 
sympathy  throughout  the  States.  The  newspapers 
were  recalling  how  he  championed  the  slave  in  former 
years,  and  upheld  the  cause  of  the  North  during  the 
war,  when  friends  were  more  needed  and  scarcer  than 
now ;  and  busy  men,  everywhere,  seemed  disposed  to 
spend  a  day  with  an  Englishman  who  had  defended 
their  country  when  she  wanted  aid,  and  to  raise  a 
national  cheer  for  him.  Letters  of  congratulation  from 
leading  public  men,  and  invitations  to  visit  various  parts 
of  the  country,  daily  poured  in  upon  him.  These, 
owing  to  the  shortness  of  his  visit,  he  could  not  accept ; 
but  he  responded  to  all  alike  in  a  tone  of  courtesy,  and 
his  work  was  expedited  by  Tom's  ready  assistance. 
The  day  was  approaching  for  the  reception  in  New 
York,  and  a  leading  Western  journal  thus  spoke  of  it : — 

"  In  a  trying  hour  aristocratic  Europe  believed  that 
the  time  had  come  to  compass  the  destruction  of  this 
Eepublic.  It  was  ruled,  they  thought,  by  the  '  scum 
of  the  earth,'  and  was  a  bad  example  to  the  '  scum ' 
of  their  parts  of  it.  "What  cared  they  for  the  blood  of 
brothers  to  be  poured  out  like  water  in  the  conflict  they 
prayed  for  ?  France,  led  by  one  despot,  and  aided  by 


172  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

others,  planted  a  hostile  power  on  our  borders  to  harry 
us,  and  the  ruling  classes  of  England,  our  own  kin, 
gloated  over  our  desperate  situation,  and  bullied  and 
threatened  us.  We  knew  we  were  the  masters  in  our 
legitimate  fight,  but  we  could  not  hope  to  over- 
come the  world  in  arms  against  us.  Then  it  was  we 
found  the  truth  of  the  assertion  of  a  great  man,  that 
there  are  two  Englands  ;  our  friends  then  came  to  the 
surface,  as,  misled  by  our  enemies,  our  mother  was 
about  to  declare  cruel  war  against  us.  There  was  a 
man  in  England  whose  teachings  contributed  to  thwart 
these  machinations.  He  was  Alexander  Conant,  then 
an  Oxford  Professor,  and  now  a  leading  member  of  the 
British  Parliament.  His  burning  eloquence,  which 
marked  him  for  obloquy  at  the  time,  has  since  won  him 
a  foremost  place  in  the  House  of  Commons  of  England ; 
and  after  all  these  years,  his  last  great  speech,  which 
the  other  day  electrified  England,  and  challenged  the 
admiration  alike  of  friend  and  foe  in  that  country,  was 
marked  by  an  eloquent  apostrophe,  full  of  sympathy 
and  good- will  to  us  and  our  country. 

"Alexander  Conant  came  to  New  York,  the  other  day, 
without  parade  or  ostentation ;  he  is  merely  seeking 
rest,  after  the  pressing  work  of  a  trying  session.  Ameri- 
cans! let  us  make  him  at  home  on  this  side  of  the 
water;  let  us  open  our  hearts  to  this  great  scholar, 
philanthropist  and  statesman,  and  let  us  show  him  that 
he  has  not  hoped  for  democracy  in  vain." 

A  leading  city  morning  journal  after  reciting  Prof. 
Conant's  friendly  services  to  "  this  country,"  added : 
"It  may  be  that  we  have  given  too  much  occasion 
for  the  want  of  confidence  which  certain  classes  in 
Europe  have  felt  for  us.  Could  we  present,  for  ex- 


THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY.    173 

ample,  the  great  American  city  of  New  York  as  a 
model  of  self-government?  The  frauds  we  denounce, 
sometimes  justly  and  sometimes  with  wild  exaggera- 
tions, would  these  inspire  foreigners  with  confidence 
and  respect  ?  They  can  know  us  only  by  what  they  see 
and  hear,  and  perhaps  our  press  has  not  been  altogether 
blameless.  Among  ourselves,  we  know  that  these 
spots  are  only  excrescences,  and  that  they  do  not 
really  endanger,  though  they  embarrass,  our  Republican 
system.  But  when  men  like  Prof.  Conant  are  willing 
to  study  and  understand  us,  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
masses,  who  generally  so  much  profit  by  these  labors, 
trust  us  to  the  end,  what  attention  too  great,  or  what 
honor  too  pronounced,  can  we  render  them?  " 

There  was,  of  course,  some  journalistic  dissent  to  the 
strain  of  eulogy  generally  indulged  in,  for  there  are 
always  two  currents  of  opinion;  and  excellent  Irish 
friends  of  America  doubted  whether  she  could  afford 
to  forget  that  Englishmen  were  her  traditional  ene- 
mies. But  the  tide  was  too  strong,  and  the  malcon- 
tents subsided. 

On  the  eveniug  of  the  reception,  the  great  hall  was 
ablaze  with  illuminations,  and  the  walls  were  profusely 
decorated.  The  dais,  upon  which  the  guest  of  the  even- 
ing was  to  be  welcomed,  was  ornamented  with  flowers, 
and  tropical  plants,  and  overhead  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
and  the  Union  Jack  blended  with  graceful  harmony. 

When  Professor  Conant  entered,  the  great  multitude 
rose  as  one  man,  and  he  was  greeted  with  enthusiastic 
cheers.  An  eloquent  address  was  presented  to  him, 
through  the  ministry  of  a  distinguished  committee.  It 
recited  his  relations  to  science  and  to  literature,  and  his 
eminent  services  to  freedom.  It  acknowledged  the  obli- 


174  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

gations  and  the  admiration  of  America,  and  proffered 
him  a  hearty  and  universal  welcome.  The  address  was 
supported  by  able  speeches,  full  of  compliment,  from 
eminent  men,  and  when  finally  the  Professor  rose  to 
reply,  the  cheers  were  renewed  and  the  ovation  was 
magnificent. 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,"  he  modestly  began,  "  ten 
years  ago  I  paid  a  quiet  visit  to  your  great  country,  be- 
lieving then,  as  I  believe  now,  that  its  organization  was 
an  incalculable  benefit  to  mankind  ;  and  I  can  see  how 
the  institutions  of  my  country,  transplanted  here  and 
tended  and  cultured  by  my  own  race,  have  multiplied 
and  improved  under  altered  conditions,  and  become 
indigenous  in  a  fruitful  soil.  Englishmen  can  never  be 
indifferent  observers  of  what  goes  on  in  America.  They 
have  made  some  successful  experiments  as  promoters  of 
constitutional  liberty,  but  good  men  among  them  had 
been  cautious  and  dreaded  the  distribution  of  power 
among  the  people,  whom  they  loved,  but  dared  not 
trust ;  and  you  Americans  might  have  thrown  free  Eng- 
land back  a  hundred  years  if  you  had  proved  un- 
worthy to  play  the  role  of  freedom.  As  it  is,  you  have 
not  wholly  met  with  success,  but  you  have  surpassed 
the  attempts  of  all  ages  to  confer  freedom  upon  the 
people,  and  encourage  industry  and  thrift.  As  com- 
pared with  other  people,  it  may  be  said  that  you  did 
not  make  the  country,  nor  create  all  the  conditions  of 
its  marvellous  development ;  but  it  will  be  sufficient  for 
you,  as  a  people,  to  establish  that  you  have  loyally  im- 
proved your  opportunities.  You  had  from  the  first  a 
great  problem  to  solve.  Could  the  people  govern? 
And  no  doubt  your  vast  and  rapid,  and  shall  I  add,  un- 
expected growth,  had  multiplied  obstacles  and  created 


THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY.    175 

dangers,  which  the  enemies  of  your  political  system 
were  not  slow  to  exaggerate.  You  might  be  all  right 
enough  in  peace,  they  admitted  ;  but  what  of  peril?  If 
the  national  life  were  in  danger,  who  would  care  for  or 
protect  it  ?  How  could  you  expect  a  rabble  to  submit 
to  restraints  and  self-sacrifice  ?  It  was  a  fair  question, 
and  your  friends  in  Europe  hoped  that  you  would 
answer  it  welL  In  all  time  it  had  been  said  we  might 
trust  the  masses  with  anything  but  self-government; 
and  the  privileged  classes  were  always  willing,  if  they 
did  not  usurp  the  right  of  government,  to  undertake  it. 
There  was,  moreover,  a  deep  blot  on  your  system,  which 
nobody  could  justify.  Claiming  that  all  men  were  free 
and  equal,  you  held  some  of  them  in  bondage  with  the 
sanction  of  your  laws  and  the  concurrence  of  your 
people ;  you  ostracised  the  black  man  and  you  hunted 
the  slave.  At  first,  we  in  Europe  tried  to  be  your 
apologists.  '  They  inherited  the  system,'  we  said,  '  they 
are  not  responsible.'  But  for  a  long  time  we  were  em- 
barrassed by  the  fact  that  you  took  to  it  kindly.  When 
we  wanted  reform,  to  extend  the  franchise,  and  thus 
to  gain  more  power  for  the  people  in  England,  our 
enemies  and  yours  said  to  us,  '  Look  at  America,  which 
you  imitate,  with  her  social  color-lines  and  her  blood- 
hounds on  the  track  of  her  slaves  ! '  What  could  we 
answer  beyond  expressing  our  hopes?  But  a  little 
later,  'with  malice  toward  none,  and  charity  toward 
all,'  you  did  the  great  work  of  your  national  life  ;  you 
emancipated  your  slaves!  I  never  saw  Mr.  Lincoln, 
except  in  my  dreams,  but  by  that  one  act  he  won  im- 
mortality. Whatever  his  motive,  the  fact  remains. 
Then  it  was  that  you,  as  a  people,  showed  how  you  could 
fight  to  maintain  your  liberties  and  your  nationality  ; 


176  PMOFESSOR   CONANT. 

and  then  the  world,  rather  tardily,  perhaps,  recognized 
you  as  a  brave  and  independent  nation.  But  there 
were  more  unprecedented  events  still  in  this  succession 
of  marvels ;  the  North  and  the  South,  shaking  hands 
over  the  bloody  chasm ;  the  leaders  of  the  great  Rebel- 
lion engaging  unmolested  in  ordinary  pursuits,  and 
under  the  very  government  they  plotted  to  ruin ;  the 
vast  armies,  on  both  sides,  peace  having  been  restored, 
returning  voluntarily  to  the  farms,  the  mills,  the  mines, 
and  the  work-shops  of  the  country.  And  this  last  fol- 
lows from  the  universal  franchise  you  have  adopted. 
There  should  be  no  mercenaries  where  all  are  mas- 
ters, and  where  each  personally  loses  or  gains,  as  it 
goes  ill  or  well  with  the  country.  If  the  people  of 
America  will  recognize  this  in  their  administration  of 
affairs,  and  continue  true  to  the  precepts  of  their  great 
teachers,  mankind  will  be  the  gainers,  and  the  masses 
of  Europe,  will  ere  long  become  in  their  own  homes, 
what  the  Americans  are  to-day — the  free  citizens  of  a 
free  country." 

He  deprecated  great  individual  wealth  and  luxury,  as 
carrying  with  them  corresponding  poverty  nnd  squalor, 
and  besought  the  people  never  to  forget  this,  when 
advised  by  kindly  people  in  his  own  country  or  in 
theirs,  to  abandon  simplicity  and  organize  a  govern- 
ment of  aristocratic  landlords  and  hereditary  senators, 
with  all  which  that  change  would  imply.  He  adjured 
the  great  British  and  American  people  to  love  each 
other.  In  the  main,  they  were  the  same  stock,  and, 
at  any  rate,  they  owed  the  same  fealties  to  freedom ; 
and,  barring  petty  rivalries,  their  interests  were  the 
same  in  their  relations  to  the  world.  Twice  they 
had  been  at  war,  and  a  third  and  more  terrible  conflict 


THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY.     177 

had  been  averted  only  by  the  alternative  of  arbitration. 
He  hoped  the  alternative  would  be  repeated,  and  when- 
ever national  disputes  threatened,  that  arbitration 
would  be  the  result.  He  continued,  in  words  which  we 
cannot  repeat,  and  with  an  eloquence  we  cannot  de- 
scribe, to  express  his  confidence  in  American  Kepub- 
lican  progress.  He  wanted  America  to  stand  side  by 
side  with  England,  among  the  foremost  nations  who 
were  displaying  the  torch-light  of  liberty  to  the  world  ; 
and,  thanking  them  all,  he  invoked  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  the  two  kindred  nations,  mother  and  child,  de- 
siring that  they  might  go  on  in  unity,  and  multiply  the 
advantages  which  each  had  conferred  upon  the  world. 

There  was  renewed  enthusiasm  when  the  speaker 
took  his  seat,  and  a  large  number  of  ladies  and  gentle- 
men were  presented  to  him.  There  was  room  for  only 
casual,  though  kindly  words,  and  at  length  the  great 
throng  moved  slowly  into  an  adjoining  hall,  where  a 
splendid  collation  had  been  prepared.  The  Professor's 
friends  were  chiefly  in  the  body  of  the  hall ;  Lord  Les- 
ter had  thought  better  of  coming  down,  and  Lord  Bol- 
ton,  for  reasons  about  which  the  public  speculated, 
though  we  can  understand  them,  declined  a  conspicuous 
place.  The  young  men,  as  the  chairman  had  said, 
would  soon  be  all  right ;  once  presented  to  two  or  three 
ladies,  they  would  swim  without  help,  or,  as  Fred  sug- 
gested, "  like  ducks  in  deep  water."  The  latter  young 
gentleman  had  made  the  most  of  his  time  in  New  York ; 
he  seemed  to  know  everybody,  which  was  not  difficult, 
as  he  was  well  accredited,  being  the  son  of  Sir  John 
Cuthbert,  Baronet,  as  well  as  a  favorite  member  of  the 
Professor's  party. 

"  I  have  been  telling  these  gentlemen,"  he  said,  nod- 
8* 


178  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

ding  to  Tom  and  Holt,  and  addressing  a  pretty  bru- 
nette, the  daughter  of  a  late  Secretary  of  State,  "  that  I 
want  to  become  an  American  citizen.  I'  suppose  there 
may  have  been  no  end  of  reasons  for  it,  these  hundred 
years  back,  but  the  Professor's  speech  puts  us  in  mind, 
that  it  is  the  thing  to  do  ;  first  of  all,  you  govern  your- 
self ;  then  you  do  it  with  so  much  personal  credit  to 
yourself;  you  do  honor  to  your  country,  and  your 
country  does  honor  to  you  ;  and  all  the  world  looks  on 
and  applauds.  And  when  you  say, '  Romanus  sum,'  the 
effect  is  terrific." 

"  Don't  be  facetious  at  our  expense,"  said  the  young 
lady;  "  we  might  refuse  you  the  freedom  of  the  city." 

"I  was  never  more  serious,"  said  Fred;  "and  be- 
sides you  are  not  an  American  citizen." 

"I  might  be  that  sooner  than  you  expect,"  she  re- 
torted, "  when  women  get  their  rights  ;  and  I  am  strong- 
minded  enough  to  defend  Prof.  Conant  any  time." 

"Oh,  I  didn't  attack  the  Professor,"  said  Fred  ;  "I 
only  orated  a  little  about  citizenship." 

" Is  ' orated '  good  English?"  she  asked,  mischiev- 
ously. 

"Perhaps  nothing  English  is  good,"  he  replied. 
"Can't  I  celebrate  my  new  allegiance  by  coining  a 
word?  Has  such  a  thing  never  been  done  here  be- 
fore?" 

"  May  be  you  think  it  is  the  fashion,"  she  interrupted. 
"Now,  tell  me,  Mr.  Cuthbert,  do  Englishmen  ever 
boast?  " 

"Never." 

"  Hardly  ever  ?  " 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  they  haven't  much  chance,"  said 
Fred.  "  England  is  an  effete  old  monarchy,  and  she  is 


THE  FLAGS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY.    179 

outshone  by  her  eldest  daughter.  An  Englishman  can't 
boast  much  of  his  titles,  because  they  are  about  to  abol- 
ish the  House  of  Lords ;  nor  of  his  fortune,  because  his 
cousins  over  here  outstrip  him.  John  Bull  never  did 
boast  of  his  younger  sons  like  me,  but  they  say  the 
lower  stratum  is  coming  to  the  surface,  and  that  may 
afford  a  chance  to  utilize  waste  material ;  so  I  think, 
Miss  Douglas,  we  shall  have  to  conclude  that  English- 
men never  boast  except  of  their  relations  over  here, 
and  these  are  sometimes  the  wife's  relations,  as  Artemus 
Ward  used  to  call  them." 

"Mothers-in-law,  for  instance,"  said  Miss  Douglas, 
"and  he  would  '  sacrifice  '  them." 

"  Artemus  only  spoke  of  sacrifice  to  the  Juggernaut 
of  war  ;  our  intentions  are  peaceable.  But  I  have  been 
reading,  and  I  find  the  Americans  are  not  always  good 
historians.  For  instance,  they  were  whipped  at  Bunker 
Hill,  but  Boston  has  celebrated  the  anniversary  of  that 
fight  for  a  victory  ever  since." 

"  Oh,  our  people  did  not  escape  reverses,"  said  Miss 
Douglas,  with  a  laugh.  "  We  got  along  very  well,  but 
we  lost  a  beautiful  and  highly  cultivated  island  with 
chalk  cliffs,  that  would  have  been  part  of  our  booty  if 
our  triumphs  had  been  complete." 

"  That  is  no  doubt  a  pleasure  to  come,"  Fred  re- 
joined ;  "  but  do  let  us  move  away  from  the  band,  the 
noise  is  deafening." 

They  were  soon  lost  in  the  crowd,  Tom  and  Robert 
going  off  in  another  direction. 

Five  minutes  later  Tom  and  his  friend  encountered 
Mr.  Roberts  walking  arm  in  arm  with  Lord  Bolton  ;  Mrs. 
Roberts  was  convalescent  and  had  gone  to  Washington. 
He  had  come  to  the  entertainment  expecting  to  see 


180  PROFESSOR    CONANT. 

without  being  seen,  but  his  Lordship's  quick  eye 
detected  him,  and  after  all  why  should  he  not  seek  dis- 
traction in  this  way  ? 

"  You  have  seen  a  New  York  gathering  of  the  best 
people,"  said  Koberts.  "I  do  not  mean  the  richest, 
though  great  wealth  is  represented  here  ;  but  people 
of  culture  and  refinement,  such  people  as  would  nat- 
urally be  attracted  by  a  great  reputation  like  that  of 
Prof.  Conant.  I  presume,  you  will  have  observed  little 
of  the  vulgar  parade  and  over-dressing  which  some  of 
our  critics  attribute  to  American  society.  The  people 
you  see  here,  so  far  as  they  are  traditional  New  Yorkers, 
are  chiefly  descended  from  old  Dutch  and  English 
families,  added  to  that  larger  class  of  men  who  came 
here  from  New  England  in  search  of  fortune,  imbued 
with  that  firm  and  masculine  self-reliance,  and  devo- 
tion to  the  old  political  ideas,  born  of  New  England 
training.  Indeed,  the  western  part  of  this  State  has 
been  almost  wholly  settled  from  New  England.  The 
English  vastly  preponderate  in  the  interior,  but  the 
city  population  is  a  medley  of  races,  and  its  political 
and  city  government  is  altogether  in  the  hands  of  men 
who  were  but  lately  foreigners." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  still  a  good  many  of  the  old 
Knickerbocker  families,"  observed  Holt. 

"  Well,  yes ;  we  have  old  families  like  the  Schuylers 
and  Van  Rensselaers.  They  were  landlords,  and  main- 
tained a  local  jurisdiction.  Their  descendants  may  be 
found  in  New  York  society  to  this  day,  but  I  do  not 
think  they  call  themselves  '  Knickerbockers.'  A  Knick- 
erbocker was  originally  a  cracker-baker ;  that  is  the 
literal  signification  of  the  word,  I  believe  ;  and  how 
"Washington  Irving  wove  his  fancies  about  it,  and  made 


THE  FLA  OS  BLEND  WITH  GRACEFUL  HARMONY.    181 

the  wide  world  accept  them,  has  always  been  a  mystery 
to  me." 

"  Well,  that's  new  to  me,"  said  Tom,  "  and  destroys 
half  a  dozen  romances  that  have  found  a  lodgment  in 
my  brain." 

"  But,  can  you  swear  to  that  ?  "  inquired  Lord  Bol- 
ton.  "  I  have  always  understood  that  the  old  Dutch 
families  accepted  this  Knickerbocker  distinction." 

"  You  may  be  right,"  replied  the  other ;  "  but  a 
'  Knickerbocker '  was  a  '  cracker-baker '  all  the  same. 
This  is  of  consequence,  however,  only  for  the  sake  of 
accuracy.  In  spite  of  the  old  families  the  social  '  gates 
are  ajar,'  and  men,  who  sprang  from  the  toiling  masses, 
are  daily  gliding  through  into  the  charmed  circle." 

"  That  is  as  it  should  be,"  remarked  Robert.  "  Why 
should  social  distinctions  be  monopolized  by  an  heredi- 
tary class  ?  " 

"  But  will  they  be  desirable  distinctions,"  observed 
Tom,  "  if  they  grow  cheap  ?  " 

"  Ah !  that's  an  old  question,"  rejoined  Eoberts ;  "  but 
I  see  the  Professor  is  moving  away,  and  I  must  follow 
him,  as  I  wish  to  whisper  a  word  in  his  ear." 

An  hour  later,  the  great  hall  was  deserted.  The 
morning  journals  would  announce  that  the  reception  to 
Prof.  Conant  had  been  a  splendid  success.  Holt  had 
received  letters  from  Miss  Lytton,  which  were  merely 
a  pathetic  diary  of  what  occurred  from  day  to  day  in 
Carlotta's  rooms,  with  an  added  account  of  how  the 
child  grew  and  prospered.  It  had  not  then  been  re- 
cognized by  its  mother,  though  she  had  sometimes 
noticed  and  petted  it.  The  name  of  little  Ethel  seemed 
to  awaken  no  interest  in  her,  and  she  always  repulsed 
friends  by  saying,  "  No,  it  is  not  Ethel,  she  has  gone  with 


182  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

Maurice  to  bring  his  mother."  The  doctor  saw  hope- 
ful signs  of  restoration.  Sometimes  she  seemed  to 
falter  and  hesitate,  as  if  her  intellect  flickered.  But 
these  symptoms  were  succeeded  by  a  return  of  the 
mental  paralysis. 


CHAPTEE  XVH. 

THE  JESUIT  AND  THE    ORANGEMAN. 

NEXT  morning,  Holt  received  a  telegram  from  Miss 
Lytton,  with  this  startling  intelligence  :  "  Child  badly 
burned  ;  Carlotta  conscious,  but  prostrate ;  calls  con- 
stantly for  you."  Without  loss  of  time,  Holt  despatched 
the  following  answer  :  "  Will  go  to  you  by  next  train." 

"  May  I  go  with  you,  Holt  ?  "  inquired  Lord  Bolton 
after  Robert  had  explained  the  nature  of  these  communi- 
cations ;  and  it  was  agreed  that  both  should  return 
together. 

They  took  up  quarters  at  a  hotel  in  Quebec,  on  their 
arrival,  but  hurried  at  the  earliest  moment  to  the  De 
Luynes's,  where  they  found  Gustave  and  Miss  Lytton 
waiting  for  them. 

"  She  is  conscious  and  knows  all,"  was  Miss  Lytton's 
greeting;  "  but  the  child's  recovery  does  not  compensate 
for  the  loss  of  poor  Maurice.  Tuesday  night  little 
Ethel  was  in  Carlotta's  room  and  for  the  moment  they 
were  alone.  Playing  about  the  grate,  the  child's 
clothes  caught  fire,  and  her  screams  roused  the  mother, 
who  rushed  toward  her,  and,  wrapping  her  shawl  about 
the  little  one,  extinguished  the  flames  in  a  most 
rational  manner,  but  the  dear  little  thing  was  badly 
burnt.  Its  cries  seemed  to  distress  Carlotta,  whom  we 
found  pacing  the  room  with  it  in  her  arms,  and  striv- 


184:  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

ing  to  soothe  it.  She  helped  to  dress  its  wounds  and 
to  nurse  it,  and  was  often  noticed  gazing  into  its  eyes 
with  an  interested  and  inquiring  look.  Presently,  she 
said,  '  It  is  little  Ethel ;  but  where  is  Maurice  ?  Oh 
heavens ! '  she  screamed,  '  I  remember  it  all  now.'  And 
with  these  words  she  fainted. 

"  Carlotta  was  soon  restored,  however,  but  suffered 
great  prostration  ;  she  seemed  conscious,  and  I  thought 
she  realized  everything.  She  moaned  for  Maurice  and 
called  urgently  for  you.  That  was  the  state  of  things 
when  I  telegraphed.  The  child  is  better,  and  Carlotta 
seems  conscious.  I  shall  notify  her  of  your  presence, 
and  I  hope  your  visit  will  strengthen  her." 

Eeturning  shortly,  Miss  Lytton  said,  "  My  sister  is 
eager  to  see  you." 

The  interview  was  short  but  affecting.  Why  should 
we  recite  what  was  said  by  the  pallid  sufferer,  or  expose 
to  the  curious  gaze  the  wailings  of  a  broken  heart  ? 

What  could  Holt  say?  Words  could  not  comfort 
her ;  he  bade  her  be  strong  for  her  child's  sake,  and 
for  the  sake  of  friends  who  loved  her.  He  spoke  of 
trust  in  God,  to  whom  Maurice  had  gone,  but  she 
answered,  "  No,  it  was  too  cruel ;  God  could  not  havo 
taken  him.  Why  should  he  be  snatched  from  me,  while 
so  many  less  worthy  are  left  ?  " 

"  God  knows  best,"  observed  Holt ;  "  not  a  sparrow 
falls  to  the  ground  without  His  notice." 

"  If  I  could  pray  !  "  she  said  sadly.  "  But  how  can  I 
return  thanks  when  my  brain  reels,  and  my  heart  is 
broken?" 

"  Ask  for  help,"  Robert  replied  soothingly. 

"  Oh  !  I  need  help,  and  it  is  for  that  I  sent  for  you, 
who  had  been  with  us  in  the  last  days  we  spent  together." 


THE  JESUIT  AND   THE  ORANGEMAN.  185 

Carlotta  seemed  exhausted  and  fell  into  a  gentle 
sleep,  and  Holt  noiselessly  left  the  room  and  found  her 
sister  at  the  door. 

"She  sleeps,"  he  said;  "I  shall  return  if  I  am 
needed."  He  found  Lord  Bolton  in  earnest  conversa- 
tion with  Gustavo.  They  were  going  over  the  history 
of  the  De  Luynes  family. 

"In  most  countries  my  cousin  would  have  had  a 
career,"  said  Gustave,  "  but  here  we  all  have  to  bow 
the  knee  to  Baal.  He  commenced  his  political  career 
by  refusing  to  accept  clerical  support,  and  was  crushed 
by  clerical  animosity.  It  was  never  the  aim  of  the 
clergy  to  defend  the  Church,  which  neither  Maurice  nor 
his  father  assailed ;  on  the  contrary,  they  were  its  most 
generous  patrons  and  defenders.  The  clergy  were  madly 
allied  to  one  party,  which  they  knew  they  could  control, 
and  the  principles  of  Maurice  led  him  to  affiliate  with 
another.  The  Church,  of  which  he  was  as  true  a  son  as 
any  of  them,  had  fairly  nothing  to  do  with  the  con- 
troversy. His  name  was  denounced,  and  it  pleased  them 
to  magnify  one  of  her  children  at  the  expense  of  another. 
History  will  put  us  right,  but  we  can  expect  little  from 
the  present  generation.  Generally,  the  press  is  an  agency 
of  freedom,  but  these  men  can  forbid  their  people  to  read 
a  certain  newspaper ;  that  crushes  it,  of  course.  Thero 
is  a  Liberal  press,  but  on  these  topics  it  must  be  silent. 
They  are  only  discussed  in  the  by-ways,  and  with  bated 
breath.  The  English  papers  are  as  prudent  as  the  French, 
and  the  politicians  are  still  more  careful ;  so  that  nobody 
ever  hears  of  this  great  abuse  which  goes  on  under  the 
very  eyes  of  liberty,  and  nobody  dares  to  speak 
about  it.  You  will  meet  these  men,  and  they  will  be 
models  of  politeness  and  toleration ;  but  independence  of 


186  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

thought  among  their  own  people,  there  is  none.  They 
assume  to  think  and  act  for  all,  and  in  the  name 
of  religion  endeavor  to  crush  every  obstacle  which  may 
oppose  them.  The  men  who  enjoy  their  confidence 
in  Parliament  are  merely  their  overseers.  You  would 
think  the  press,  the  great  champion  of  those  who 
think  for  themselves,  would  aid  us,  but  upon  all  these 
topics  the  press  is  muzzled.  Now  and  then  some 
adventurous  journal  makes  a  dash,  but  the  people  are 
forbidden  to  read  it,  and,  after  a  bitter  experience,  it 
collapses.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  independent  criticism 
in  secluded  nooks,  but  the  press  of  Quebec,  French  and 
English,  is  too  prudent  '  to  beard  the  lion  in  his  den,' 
and  as  for  the  politicians,  bless  your  soul !  if  there  have 
been  a  few  who  took  the  risk,  they  have  been  crushed 
like  poor  Maurice  of  unhappy  memory.  There  is  no 
hope  of  public  opinion,  left  to  itself,  but  our  people  are 
a  minority,  and  the  other  provinces  may  awaken  to  the 
danger.  I  would  rather  we  could  seek  another  remedy, 
but  I  believe  the  madness  of  the  hour  will  be  checked 
from  Eome,  and  that  the  Propaganda  will  decree  that 
our  priests  shall  abstain  from  partisan  politics.  If  that 
happens,  they  will,  at  least,  profess  to  obey  ;  but  I  know 
them  well,  and  they  will  be  more  loyal  to  the  Pope,  pro- 
claiming the  programme,  than  to  the  Pope,  cultivating 
the  freedom  of  political  opinions  for  all.  Lower  Canada 
is  a  little  corner  of  the  world,  but  she  is  the  paradise  of 
the  reactionaries.  What  is  possible  among  her  simple 
and  uninstructed  people,  will  be  attempted  in  every 
corner  of  North  America.  To  study  our  troubles  is  to 
be  warned  in  time.  The  policy  pursued  among  us  is 
faintly  resisted  by  the  best  instructed  and  more  liberal 
among  the  clergy,  but  they  are  powerless.  The  tra- 


THE  JESUIT  AND   TEE  ORANGEMAN.  187 

ditions  of  our  good  old  priesthood  are  despised  and  for- 
gotten, and  the  power  of  the  cures,  which  was  intended 
to  lead  the  people  aright  in  spiritual  matters,  is  some- 
times degraded  to  the  lowest  work  of  the  most  merce- 
nary politicians.  The  path  of  our  public  life  is  strewn 
with  the  carcasses  of  those  who  have  striven  to  resist, 
and  the  readiest  tools  of  this  uncatholic  slaughter  are 
the  men  of  your  race  among  us." 

"  How  bitterly  they  all  seem  to  feel  this  clerical  in- 
terference," remarked  Holt  after  Gustave  had  retired. 

"No  doubt  it  is  a  great  power,"  said  Lord  Bolton. 
"  One  wonders  would  they  have  resented  it  as  much  if 
it  had  always  been  exercised  in  their  favor ;  in  great 
emergencies  the  Church  always  appeals  to  the  loyalty 
of  the  people." 

"  Ah !  but  that  is  when  questions  which  affect 
the  interest  of  the  Church  are  concerned,"  observed 
Robert. 

"  Do  you  think  that  when  no  great  question  was  in- 
volved, Cardinal  Manning  would  encourage  his  people 
to  interfere  in  an  election,  simply  because  one  of  his 
priests  had  preferences  for  one  side  or  the  other  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  I  don't  know,"  rejoined  Lord  Bolton,  "  and  I 
can't  bother  to  think  about  it ;  yet  it  is  a  pity  if  the 
priests  carry  the  consciences  of  their  people  in  their 
pockets.  But  what  can  we  do  when  the  people  want  to 
have  it  so  ?  As  to  our  own  race  here,  politicians  have 
not  much  conscience,  and  so,  I  suppose,  not  feeling 
much  interest,  they  ally  themselves  with  the  stronger 
side." 

"  Yes,"  said  Robert,  "  that's  the  view  of  the  practical 
politician ;  but  if  it  goes  to  the  extent  I  am  told 
it  does,  of  making  the  Jesuit  and  the  Orangeman 


188  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

brothers-in-arms,  it  does  not  suggest  anything  very 
noble  to  my  mind." 

Shortly  dropping  this  conversation,  Robert  explained 
to  Lord  Boltou  the  touching  interview  he  had  had  with 
Carlotta,  and  the  ground  of  his  hope  for  mother  and 
child. 

"  "We  cannot  remain  long,"  Robert  said  to  Miss  Lyt- 
ton  in  the  course  of  the  day,  "  on  account  of  other  en- 
gagements. I  would  not  leave  Madame  De  Luynes 
so  long  as  I  could  cheer  her ;  but,  do  you  know,  I  fear 
my  presence  summons  sad  thoughts  to  her  mind,  and 
that  she  will  thrive  better  among  those  who  have  not 
witnessed  her  great  bereavement." 

But  presently  Carlotta  sent  for  him  again,  and  he 
found  her  more  composed  and  self-reliant. 

"  You  did  me  good  this  morning,  my  dear  friend," 
she  said,  "but  I  must  not  detain  you  here.  I  see  it  all 
now,  and  though  I  have  many  friends,  I  must  tread  my 
desolate  path  alone.  At  first,  in  my  helplessness,  I  in- 
voluntarily turned  to  you  who  had  been  near  to  us  and 
were  my  husband's  last  friend.  Now  I  must  release 
you,  and  ask  pardon  for  the  trouble  I  have  given  in  ask- 
ing you  to  come  hither."  Extending  her  hand,  she 
added,  "You  interested  my  husband,  you  saved  my 
child ;  what  recompense  can  I  offer  ?  " 

"I  did  little  at  best,"  replied  Robert,  "but  I  did 
nothing  for  reward.  To  feel  that  I  was  the  friend  of 
Maurice  De  Luynes,  or  that  I  could  perform  the  least 
service  to  his  widow  and  child,  would  be  a  satisfaction 
to  me  more  than  words  could  express.  If  I  can  serve 
you,  or  give  you  strength  at  any  moment,  you  have  but 
to  command  me,  and  my  delay  will  be  measured  only  by 
the  distance  I  have  to  travel." 


THE  JESUIT  AND  THE  ORANGEMAN.  189 

Later  in  the  day  she  received  Lord  Bolton,  and  was 
more  calm  and  self-possessed  than  they  expected. 
Robert  spent  much  of  his  time  with  the  child,  who 
evinced  a  fondness  for  him,  and  a  day  or  two  after, 
with  many  tender  adieux,  he  and  Lord  Bolton  took 
their  leave. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  PROFESSOR  VISITS  BOSTON. 

ONE  morning  Dr.  Elmwood  called  on  the  Professor 
at  his  lodgings  in  New  York.  He  had  just  returned 
from  Boston,  where  he  left  Miss  Winthrop  well,  but 
weary  with  her  efforts  to  reconcile  George  to  his  fate. 
At  first  he  had  been  inconsolable,  but  they  had  thought 
it  better  not  to  disguise  anything  from  him,  and  had 
expressed  their  belief  that  poor  Miss  Roberts  had  not 
been  indifferent  to  Lord  Bolton's  attentions.  They  told 
him  what  they  knew,  and  what  they  surmised,  which 
amounted  to  this,  that  Miss  Roberts  had  been  loyal  to 
her  engagement  with  George,  but  had  not  been  sure  of 
her  affection,  and  that  had  she  lived,  she  might  have 
asked  him  to  release  her  altogether.  As  the  story  was 
told  him,  there  was  left  no  cause  for  resentment ;  hence 
he  felt  that  his  mourning  was  more  for  a  beautiful 
woman  and  a  dear  friend  than  for  her  whom  he  was 
shortly  to  marry.  As  his  thoughts  became  more  rational, 
he  felt  like  reproving  himself  for  indulging  in  any  vio- 
lent grief.  He  understood  that  Miss  Roberts  had  dis- 
couraged Lord  Bolton's  suit  because  she  was  pledged 
to  himself,  and  not  because  it  was  disagreeable  to  her. 
"  She  was  a  noble  girl,"  he  would  say.  "  Our  engage- 
ment was  so  sudden  that  she  did  not  know  her  own  heart. 
I  have  nothing  to  forgive,  but  it  would  have  been  dread- 
ful to  have  found  out  our  mistake  when  it  was  too  late." 


THE  PROFESSOR  VISITS  BOSTON.  191 

His  sister  was  full  of  kind  words  for  the  memory  of 
the  lost  one,  and  he  clung  to  her  more  than  ever. 

The  Doctor  had  explained  all  this  to  the  Professor, 
and  had  politely  expressed  satisfaction  with  the  recep- 
tion accorded  him.  "  I  knew  there  would  be  enthusi- 
asm," he  said,  "  the  moment  it  was  known  you  had  set 
foot  upon  our  soil.  My  brother  Horace  will  ask  you 
to  spend  a  few  days  with  him  in  Boston,  and  you  will 
find  an  equally  kind,  though  somewhat  different,  wel- 
come. Boston  is  more  distinctively  an  American  city 
than  New  York.  It  is  one  of  the  old  landmarks  in  our 
history,  and  a  great  centre  of  Republican  thrift  and  re- 
finement. My  brother  is  an  eminent  lawyer,  but  he  is 
a  statesman  and  a  man  of  letters  as  well.  He  is  eager 
for  your  expected  visit ;  I  hope  Tom  will  go  with  you, 
and  I  shall  try  to  drop  down  while  you  are  there." 

"  Your  brother  is  very  kind,"  said  the  Professor, 
"  and  we  must  go.  I  want  to  make  his  acquaintance 
and  to  see  Miss  Winthrop  ;  besides,  a  visit  to  America, 
which  does  not  include  Boston,  would  be  like  the  play 
of  Hamlet  with  Hamlet  left  out." 

They  spoke  of  New  York,  of  its  marvellous  growth 
and  ever-increasing  facilities,  as  one  of  the  wonders  of 
the  world.  "  She  is  the  mistress  of  our  commerce," 
said  Dr.  Elmwood,  "  the  centre  of  our  wealth,  and  her 
activities  are  an  unfailing  index  in  denoting  the  expan- 
sion or  decline  of  the  national  prosperity.  Here  are 
found  representatives  of  every  race  and  creed  which 
our  diversified  immigration  confides  to  us.  Wealth  and 
squalor,  education  and  ignorance,  and  all  the  extremes 
of  the  overburdened  and  strained  social  conditions  of 
the  countries  from  which  our  immigrants  come,  are  to 
be  found  here  ;  but  the  great  multitude  walk  the  peace- 


192  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

ful  paths  of  industry,  and  quietly  reap  their  legitimate 
reward." 

That  morning,  in  Boston,  Miss  Winthrop  received  a 
letter  from  Miss  Lytton;  it  was  dated  Quebec,  and 
was  an  answer  to  a  note  of  inquiry  about  Madame  De 
Luynes.  It  told  her  all  we  know  of  Carlotta  De  Luynes, 
and  of  the  recovery  and  condition  of  the  child.  It 
drew  a  sad  picture  of  the  life  they  had  led  at  the  De 
Luynes  mansion,  which  was  now  brightened  by  Car- 
lotta's  convalescence,  and  by  hope  of  her  early  recovery. 
It  contained  a  photograph  and  thus  explained  the  en- 
closure :  "  Something  Carlotta  said  to  me  this  morning 
made  me  wonder  could  her  friend  Miss  Winthrop,  of 
whom  she  speaks  so  lovingly,  have  been  the  little  Aggie 
"Winthrop,  whom  I  knew  and  loved  at  Madame  Char- 
land's  school,  on  Beacon  Street.  Pardon  the  photo- 
graph, which  is  sent,  if  indeed  you  are  the  same,  to 
help  your  memory  in  recognizing  your  old  friend.  I  do 
not  think  I  am  mistaken.  I  remember  the  honest  gray 
eyes  so  well ;  they  always  looked  lovingly  into  mine, 
and  what  romantic  stories  you  used  to  tell  me  about 
your  home,  and  about  your  big  brother  who  came  for 
you  every  Saturday !  I  can  scarcely  tell  you  how  I 
cling  to  this  theory,  which  would  make  Miss  Winthrop 
the  accidental  friend  of  my  poor  sister,  my  own  sweet 
little  Aggie  Winthrop  of  the  old  days."  The  letter  con- 
tinued, "  My  sister  speaks  often  of  you ;  she  seems  al- 
ways reaching  out  to  those  who  were  with  her  in  the 
last  days  of  her  poor  husband.  Could  you  not  come 
and  see. us?  If  you  are,  as  I  believe,  my  little  Agnes, 
accept  a  kiss,  and  my  imperative  order  to  come  here 
at  once." 

"Dear  girl,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  "I  had  lost  sight 


TEE  PROFESSOR  VISITS  BOSTON.  193 

of  yon,  but  I  have  not  forgotten  to  love  you,  for  your 
kindness  to  me  in  those  old  school  days.  The  likeness 
is  perfect,  though  the  face  is  a  little  older.  It  is  more 
like  Madame  De  Luynes.  I  always  thought  she  re- 
minded me  of  some  one ;  I  will  go  to  them  both  for  a 
day,  and  George  shall  take  me." 

The  young  man  heard  the  story. 

"  Will  you  come,  George  ?  "  said  his  sister. 

"  I  am  not  invited,  little  one,"  he  replied. 

"Trust  me  for  a  welcome  ; "  and  they  went  to  Quebec 
together.  Miss  Winthrop  was  received  warmly  by  her 
friend,  and  George  was  pleased  with  her  beauty  and 
grace,  and  particularly  with  the  cordial  greeting.  There 
is  this  compensation  for  the  stricken  in  heart,  that  grief 
yields  to  reaction  ;  were  it  not  so,  the  thread  would 
break  under  a  constant  tension.  The  three  chatted 
pleasantly  of  old  times ;  even  Carlotta  received  them 
with  a  smile,  and  seemed  for  the  moment  to  forget  her 
own  great  sorrow. 

George  and  Ethel  compared  notes,  and  remembered 
having  met  before,  and  as  the  day  advanced  they  all 
seemed  like  a  family  reunited.  Thus,  sometimes,  even 
in  grief,  we  tread  lightly  over  the  green  sod  that  presses 
our  loved  ones,  and  take  in  exhilaration  and  strength 
from  the  warm  earth  and  fresh  breeze. 

In  the  afternoon  Miss  Winthrop  remained  with  Car- 
lotta, and  George  and  Ethel  drove  out  round  the  city. 
She  showed  him  where  Montgomery  fell,  and  the  castle 
on  the  "  heights,"  and  told  him  something  of  its  classic 
history.  They  saw  the  Plains  of  Abraham,  where 
Wolfe  and  Montcalm  won  immortality,  and  the  falls  of 
Montmorenci,  distinguished  for  their,  height  and  vol- 
ume. The  frozen  spray  of  these  waters,  she  told  him, 

•  • 


194  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

formed  a  huge  cone  of  ice  in  winter,  which  was  cov- 
ered with  snow,  and  down  whose  precipitous  sides 
pleasure  seekers  were  fond  of  making  swift,  but  peril- 
ous voyages.  At  its  base,  she  had  known  large  rooms 
to  be  skilfully  cut  out,  with  furniture  exquisitely  carved 
in  ice.  There  was  a  bar,  with  a  counter  ornamented 
with  bottles  and  glasses  ;  there  were  saloons  furnished 
with  sofas,  chairs  and  tables,  and  figures  of  men  and 
women  grouped,  as  if  in  conversation,  and  liveried  serv- 
ants, all  cut  and  carved  from  solid  ice  with  marvellous 
skill. 

"  The  tale  would  seem  incredible,"  said  George, 
"  if  one  heard  it  in  any  ordinary  way.  How  much 
one  loses  when  one  travels  without  an  intelligent 
guide." 

"  But  the  story  must  be  at  least  founded  on  facts, 
for  I  have  seen  all  myself,  and  more  than  I  have  de- 
scribed to  you,  except  the  figures  of  men  and  women, 
and  these  would  not  be  more  difficult  than  the  rest." 
They  had  a  long  drive  home,  but  the  way  was  beauti- 
ful, along  the  high  ground  overlooking  the  great  river 
and  the  old  city.  They  talked  pleasantly  together,  as  if 
neither  had  seen  trouble,  and  as  if  they  were  old  friends 
who  had  come  together  after  a  long  separation. 

"  I  have  to  thank  you  for  a  very  pleasant  afternoon," 
he  said,  as  they  turned  in  at  the  gate  of  the  De  Luynes 
mansion. 

"  The  pleasure  has  been  mutual,"  replied  Ethel ;  "I 
suppose  I  shall  condemn  myself,  by-and  bye,  for  having 
escaped  from  the  dark  cloud  into  the  pleasant  world 
again." 

"  You  ought  not,"  George  answered ;  "  in  great  be- 
reavements those  who  go  first  are  perhaps  most  fortu- 


THE  PROFESSOR  VISITS  BOSTON.  195 

nate,  but  those  who  remain  cannot  always  keep  their 
hearts  in  the  grave,  else  mourning  would  be  the  busi- 
ness of  life ;  and  as  everybody  has  been  stricken,  we 
should  all  be  Rachels  refusing  to  be  comforted."  If 
Miss  Lytton  had  known  the  truth,  she  might  have 
thought  he  was  taking  comfort  early,  but  as  it  was  she 
agreed  with  him  and  determined  to  cultivate,  at  least 
a  reasonable  self-control. 

"  They  seem  more  cheerful,"  thought  Miss  Winthrop, 
as  she  welcomed  them  in  the  hall,  but  she  only  asked, 
had  they  enjoyed  themselves,  and  declared  that,  strange 
as  it  might  seem,  she,  too,  had  spent  a  pleasant  after- 
noon. Carlotta  had  been  in  a  calmer  mood  ;  she  had 
caressed  the  child,  and  chatted  cheerfully,  and  they 
all  expressed  hopes  that  verged  upon  cheerfulness,  as 
if  a  black  cloud  had  been  lifted  from  the  house.  Little 
Ethel  was  in  gay  spirits,  which  tended  to  dispel  the 
gloom.  In  the  evening,  Carlotta  asked  them  to  sing 
some  hymns  ;  they  reminded  her  of  Maurice,  she  said  ; 
and  when  they  rendered  the  "  Sweet  by-and-bye,"  and 
"  Nearer  my  God  to  Thee,"  she  melted  into  tears,  and 
spoke  calmly  of  that  night  on  the  Alaric,  and  what  she 
called  the  heavenly  enthusiasm  that  prevailed  among 
the  passengers.  It  was  a  quiet,  pleasant  evening,  and 
gave  promise  of  restoration  that  unconsciously  cheered 
them  all. 

"  We  must  go  to-morrow,"  said  Miss  Winthrop. 
Ethel  persisted,  and  George  thought  it  reasonable 
that  they  should  remain  another  day ;  but  Agnes 
explained  that  her  uncle  expected  friends,  and  it  was 
agreed  that  they  should  go  the  following  night.  Both 
George  and  Miss  Winthrop  urged  upon  Miss  Lytton 
that  the  whole  family  needed  change,  that  is  to  say, 


196  PXOFESSOIi  CONANT. 

Madame  De  Luynes,  Miss  Ethel,  and  "  baby  Ethel ;" 
and  they  won  a  conditional  promise  of  a  visit  later. 

"Now  that  Madame  De  Luynes  is  so  much  im- 
proved," said  Agnes,  "  we  should  try  to  engage  her  at- 
tention with  new  thoughts  and  new  scenes ;  our  home 
in  Boston  will  be  quiet  for  some  time  after  the  Profes- 
sor has  left  us,  and  you  shall  meet  no  one  whom  you  do 
not  wish  to  see,  and  will  be  as  completely  at  home  as 
you  are  here.  Little  Ethel  shall  have  command  of  all 
the  pets,  and  you,  poor,  weary  Ethel,  shall  be  my  es- 
pecial care.  Here,  nobody  will  know  where  you  have 
gone,  and  there,  nobody  will  know  who  you  are ;  and 
the  change  will  do  you  as  much  good  as  if  it  were  alto- 
gether fashionable  and  orthodox  to  go." 

Carlotta  bore  up  bravely  as  they  took  their  leave, 
and  spoke  almost  cheerfully  of  returning  their  visit. 
Miss  Lytton,  however,  promised  nothing,  though  she 
said  that  the  visit  would  be  grateful  to  her,  but  she 
must  watch  and  wait  a  little.  To  Agnes  she  said  the 
visit  had  given  them  new  life.  Uncle  Horace  Winthrop 
was  not  advanced  in  years,  though  he  was  a  Senator, 
and  he  was  not  worn  by  hard  work,  though  he  stood  at 
the  head  of  the  bar.  He  was  a  great  student  and  led  a 
laborious  life,  but  there  was  always  a  corner  in  his  heart 
for  his  friends  and  for  any  innocent  recreation  ;  and  the 
wish  of  Agnes  was  law  with  him.  He  was  proud  of 
George,  who  had  inherited  his  gifts  and  his  enormous 
practice,  and  he  was  as  much  their  confidant  in  all  that 
interested  them  as  if  he  were  of  their  own  age.  He  was 
a  great  scholar,  and  Massachusetts  admired  him  ;  a 
great  orator,  and  so  she  lent  him  her  ear.  It  was  fitting 
that  he  should  entertain  Prof.  Conant ;  they  were  a  dis- 
tinguished host  and  a  distinguished  guest.  The  Pro- 


THE  PROFESSOR    VISITS  BOSTON.  197 

fessor  and  Tom  were  the  guests  of  Mr.  Winthrop,  but 
their  friends  took  lodgings  near  by.  The  first  day  was 
spent  in  visiting  the  sights  of  the  city,  and  in  driving 
about  the  suburbs,  which  are  among  the  finest  in  the 
world.  The  next  night,  Senator  Winthrop  was  to  give 
a  grand  reception  in  honor  of  Prof.  Conant,  and  the  elite 
of  Boston  were  to  be  present.  Modern  Athens  would 
be  seen  at  her  best  that  night.  Iler  statesmen  and 
scholars,  her  poets  and  litterateurs,  would  be  well  rep- 
resented, in  honor  of  England's  foremost  thinker — a 
great  orator,  a  rising  statesman,  and  a  good  man. 

Everybody,  and  especially  George,  was  pleased  with 
Capt.  Tom  Conant.  He  was  full  of  spirits,  and  dis- 
played the  greatest  interest  in  and  admiration  for  every- 
thing American,  so  far  as  he  had  seen  the  country  and 
the  people,  and  was  thus  accepted  as  a  most  liberal  and 
intelligent  Britisher. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  Tom,  in  conversation  with  some 
callers,  "  this  visit  of  mine  to  New  England  is  the  reali- 
zation of  a  long  cherished  dream  ?  In  the  early  days, 
the  story  of  your  people  was  so  full  of  trial  and  tragedy  ; 
there  was  so  much  human  nature  in  first  fleeing  from 
persecution  and  then  exercising  it,  such  heroic  sacrifice 
of  everything  to  principle,  that  one  recalls  with  pride 
the  fact  that  one  belongs  to  the  same  race.  It  may  be  a 
question  whether  a  modern  softening  of  the  severe  and 
rigid  morality  of  those  times  has  been  really  a  blessing 
to  mankind.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  hardy,  honest  and 
uncalculating  devotion  to  principle  of  the  early  settlers, 
makes  one  almost  regret  that  he  had  not  descended 
from  the  Plymouth  fathers." 

"  Nous  avons  change  tout  cela"  said  a  voice  near  him. 

"Well,"  said  Tom,  taking  up  the  remark,  "history 


198  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

changes,  conditions  alter,  but  principles  are  for  all  time. 
You  may  restrict  or  enlarge  their  application,  or  modify 
it  in  a  hundred  ways,  but  the  people  who  have  followed 
the  Puritans  as  teachers,  must,  indeed,  have  fallen,  if 
they  have  ceased  to  be  independent  and  self-reliant,  and 
fail  to  put  honesty  of  purpose  before  success  in  life." 

"  Ours  is  a  comparatively  short  history,  but  it  is  in- 
structive," said  a  city  editor  who  was  present,  "  and  in 
the  main  you  interpret  it  aright ;  but  you  do  not  allow 
for  the  fact,  which  is  growing  every  day  more  apparent, 
that  the  people  of  New  England  are  not  all  descended 
from  the  Puritans." 

"  Then  I  should  think  those  who  are  not  would  envy 
those  who  are,"  remarked  Tom. 

"  From  envy,  hatred  and  malice,  and  all  uncharitable- 
ness,  good  Lord  deliver  us,"  said  the  Professor,  coming 
to  Tom's  relief. 

"  The  population  of  America  is  so  diversified,  you 
have  so  many  classes  in  your  broad  country  (I  use  the 
word  for  convenience,  for  I  know,  constitutionally  speak- 
ing, you  have  no  classes  here),  and  they  have  all  in 
their  own  way  contributed  so  much  to  your  prosperity, 
that  it  would  be  invidious  to  discriminate  ;  yet  it  can- 
not be  denied  that  the  Puritans  displayed  great  quali- 
ties, though  others  have  done  the  same,  and  nobody 
need  be  called  upon  to  envy  them." 

"  The  descendants  of  the  Puritans  claim  so  much," 
observed  the  editor,  "  that  they  do  not  give  others  fair 
play." 

"  It  has  been  well  said  that  a  Puritan  cannot  be  an 
aristocrat,  nor  could  he  conceive  of  heaven  as  an  aris- 
tocracy," remarked  Mr.  "Winthrop,  epigrammatically. 

"  Yes,"  said  Eobert,  "  Green  has  that  idea  in  his  essay 


THE  PROFESSOR    VISITS  BOSTON.  199 

on  Paradise  Lost.  He  says  it  is  time  God  ruled  all,  but 
He  demanded  obedience  because  He  is  pure  goodness. 
This  is  not  our  idea  of  the  ground  of  imperial  rule ; 
Milton  nowhere  gives  the  Imperial  title  to  the  Almighty ; 
He  is  the  Almighty  Father,  the  King  of  Heaven,  but 
never  the  Emperor.  That  title  is  reserved  for  Satan. 
The  heaven  of  Milton  is  a  Republic  under  the  dominion 
of  goodness.  Satan  rebelled  because  the  Son  was 
placed  over  the  angels,  who  were  free  and  equal.  Ab- 
diel  allows  the  equality  and  the  freedom,  but  defends 
the  supremacy,  the  Son  is  the  '  Visible  form  of  God, 
and  is  at  one  with  Him.'  The  only  change  is  that  now 
through  the  creation  of  the  Son,  through  God  himself, 
becoming  as  an  angel,  he  has  lifted  the  whole  angelic 
body  into  higher  dignity.  And  of  our  dignity — 'How 
provident  He  is,  how  far  from  thought  to  make  us  less, 
bent  rather  to  exalt  our  happy  state  under  one  Head 
more  near  united.'  History  has  given  the  Puritans  a 
high  niche  among  those  whom  she  makes  famous  in  the 
service  of  liberty,  but  they  did  not  live  in  tolerant  days ; 
they  prepared  the  way  for  freedom  rather  than  con- 
ferred it." 

"  Their  influence  is  still  great  in  New  England," 
said  the  Journalist,  "  but  I  think  even  Mr.  Winthrop 
will  admit  that  it  is  fading." 

"  I  am  sorry  if  I  misapprehend,"  said  Tom.  "  I  am 
a  stranger,  but  I  thought  New  England  was  a  Puritan 
stronghold,  and  that  though  she  did  not  applaud  their 
severities,  of  either  doctrine  or  discipline,  her  institu- 
tions were  chiefly  moulded  after  their  teaching.  Bight 
or  wrong,  I  have  been  a  great  admirer  of  their  history  in 
my  own  country,  and  I  was  prepared  to  admire  it  here." 

"  Oh,  you  are  to  a  certain  extent  right,"  said  the  Edi- 


209  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

tor,  who  was  descended  in  a  direct  line  from  a  neigh- 
bor and  friend  of  Miles  Standish,  "  but  we  must  never 
forget  what  we  owe  to  Americans  whose  citizenship,  if 
more  recent,  has  not  been  less  conspicuous." 

The  conversation  now  sought  other  topics;  but  at 
lunch  Tom,  who  was  not  altogether  satisfied  with  his 
part  in  it,  alluded  to  the  incident,  and  his  regret  that 
he  should  have  given  matters  a  controversial  turn. 

"What  you  said  was  true  enough,"  said  Mr.  Win- 
throp,  "  but  one  or  two  citizens  of  foreign  descent  were 
present,  and  our  friend  Taylor  of  the  '  Press,'  saw  his 
chance  to  pay  them  a  compliment,  and  he  took  advan- 
tage of  the  occasion." 

"  I  said  just  what  I  thought,"  said  Tom,  bluntly. 

"  It  is  best  to  be  guarded  in  mixed  company,"  moral- 
ized the  Professor. 

"It  is  not  worth  remembering,"  rejoined  Mr.  Win- 
throp.  "  You  expressed  your  opinion,  Taylor  improved 
his  chance,  and  the  gentlemen  of  foreign  descent  will 
vote  for  him." 

"  These  gentlemen  are  becoming  a  great  power  with 
us,"  said  George.  "  The  politicians  pander  to  them  and 
they  are  very  exacting.  The  streets  are  full  of  people 
who  seek  opportunity  to  speak  for  and  natter  these 
gentlemen  of  foreign  birth  or  descent;  the  Irish- 
Americans,  the  French-Canadian-Americans,  and  other 
Americans  of  promiscuous  foreign  stock — the  Indians, 
if  they  had  votes,  would  be  included — but  the  poor 
descendants  of  the  Puritans,  and  in  general  the  real 
Americans  are  growing  silent  about  themselves,  or  are 
struggling,  like  Tom  Taylor,  to  win  favor  with  the  men 
who  are  becoming  their  masters ! " 

"  Well,  America  owes  a  great  deal  to  these  people," 


THE  PROFESSOR   VISITS  BOSTON.  201 

observed  the  Professor;  "she  invited  them  to  her 
shores,  the  poor,  the  halt  and  the  lame,  and  promised 
them  employment  and  citizenship.  You  asked  them  to 
come  over  and  help  you  to  develop  and  govern  the 
country.  Most  of  them  were  needy  and  ignorant,  and 
had  never  been  trained  to  govern  themselves.  'The 
mills  of  the  gods  grind  slow.'  They  are  hewing  down 
your  forests,  cultivating  your  farms,  and  building  your 
railroads.  But  you  must  wait  for  the  full  fruition. 
Train  their  sons  in  your  admirable  schools,  and  the 
second  generation  will  be  intelligent  and  patriotic 
Americans." 

"  Many  of  them  sneer  at  our  schools  ;  they  prefer 
the  system  they  have  cultivated  for  ages,  one  that  has 
made  them  what  they  are,"  said  George.  "  At  least 
half  a  million  of  one  foreign  nationality  in  New  Eng- 
land to-day,  and  one  which  is  increasing  largely,  came 
to  us  instructed  by  their  teachers  at  home,  and  are 
constantly  exhorted  to  abstain  from  intercourse  with 
us,  like  the  Chinese  ;  not  to  intermarry  with  us,  nor 
become  citizens  ;  and  if  these  things  have  roused  some 
of  our  public  men  to  denounce  immigration  of  this 
class,  and  recommend  its  discouragement,  they  raise  a 
cry  of  persecution,  and  declare  that  we  are  false  to  the 
traditions  of  our  government.  God  forbid  we  should 
discriminate  against  the  foreign-born  population ;  but 
they  ought  not  to  discriminate  against  us." 

'•  To  a  great  extent  you  may  expect  narrow  and  igno- 
rant views  to  prevail  with  the  first  generation  of  these 
people,"  observed  the  Professor.  "They  are  your 
national  raw  material ;  but  your  system  of  universal 
education,  and  the  atmosphere  of  thrift  and  intelligence 
they  will  breathe,  will  make  good  citizens  of  the 


202  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

second  generation.  Meantime,  it  may  be  awkward, 
considering  your  extended  franchise,  that  they  should 
exercise  power  over  matters  they  do  not  understand. 
But  they  are  adding  constantly  and  immensely  to  your 
national  wealth.  The  statement  is  startling,  but  it  has 
been  computed  that  during  the  four  years  of  your  civil 
war  and  all  the  terrible  destruction  to  be  expected  from 
two  millions  of  men  in  arms,  the  total  wealth  of  the 
nation  did  not  decrease,  owing  chiefly  to  the  vast  volume 
of  immigration  that  bolstered  it.  In  fairness  you  must 
credit  these  people  to  that  extent,  while  they  are 
chargeable  with  whatever  they  do  in  the  way  of  lower- 
ing the  standard  of  public  morality  among  you.  But 
we  are  making  things  too  serious  for  the  ladies,"  he 
added,  bowing  to  Miss  Winthrop. 

"  Oh  no,"  said  Miss  Winthrop,  "  I  am  sure  we  are  all 
delighted,  but  you  must  give  us  your  views  about 
women's  rights,"  she  added  laughingly,  as  they  rose  to 
withdraw. 

"  Yes,  we  have  talked  enough  about  '  men's  wrongs,' " 
the  Professor  responded  good-humoredly. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

"  Y\TE  ABE  MASSACHUSETTS   FARMERS." 

THE  Professor  and  the  Senator  were  to  drive,  but  we 
will  not  accompany  them,  for  what  could  they  see  in  or 
around  Boston  which  has  not  already  been  described 
by  a  hundred  facile  pens  ?  They  would  see  landmarks 
and  recall  traditions  enough  for  scores  of  romances ;  but 
have  not  all  these  been  written  and  illustrated  in  a  hun- 
dred ways  in  the  chronicles  for  which  literary  and  art- 
istic Boston  is  famous?  The  young  men,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  George,  joined  the  ladies,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  their  lives  they  found  themselves  entertained 
by  half  a  dozen  jolly  Boston  girls  in  a  fine  old  Boston 
house  which  overlooked  Boston  Common.  Of  course, 
they  had  seen  Miss  "Winthrop,  but  they  found  her  first  in 
Europe,  and  they  claimed  her  as  belonging  to  their 
party.  Alas,  how  evanescent  are  preconceived  notions ! 
There  was  not  a  pair  of  eye-glasses,  nor  a  pert  blue- 
stocking, in  the  room.  There  ought  to  be  scores  of  the 
latter  in  Boston,  and  no  doubt  they  are  very  charming 
people,  wherever  they  are  to  be  found ;  but  Miss  Win- 
throp's  friends  were  all  quiet  and  pleasant  young  ladies 
like  herself ;  most  of  them  were  older,  and  had  seen 
more  of  society ;  many  of  them  had  travelled,  and  all 
had  enjoyed  such  advantages  as  belong  everywhere  to 
young  gentlewomen  ;  in  conversation,  they  wore  spark- 
ling, lively  u,nd  entertaining ;  and  our  young  friends  had 


204  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

not  spent  a  happier  afternoon  since  they  came  to  Amer- 
ica. Not  that  they  were  so  misled  as  to  have  expected 
vulgarity ;  they  had  rather  been  taught  to  look  for  hy- 
percritical culture,  and  they  had  a  half-defined  idea  of 
a  Boston  girl  as  a  philosopher  and  a  mathematician, 
who  was  never  without  a  book  under  her  arm.  On  the 
other  hand,  these  young  girls  had  equal  occasion  for 
disappointment.  They  had  read,  though  they  had 
travelled  and  knew  better,  that  Englishmen  abroad 
were  always  churlish  and  disagreeable ;  that  they 
were  impatient  with  American  women,  because  they 
called  a  "  jug  "  a  "  pitcher,"  and  tolerated  too  much 
crust  under  their  tarts.  If  the  truth  must  be  told,  they 
were  glad  to  meet  these  young  Englishmen.  They  were 
surprised  to  see  nothing  brusque  in  their  manner ;  and 
that  they  were  always  agreeable  and  careful  of  the  com- 
fort of  others.  On  the  whole  we  must  say,  that  the 
afternoon  afforded  mutual  delight  and  mutual  disap- 
pointment ;  because  they  had  found,  on  the  one  side, 
that  the  young  ladies  were  neither  frigid  nor  strong- 
minded,  and  on  the  other,  that  the  young  gentlemen 
were  not  upstarts  nor  bores.  So  they  soon  forgot  their 
apprehensions,  and  became  as  thoroughly  acquainted 
as  if  all  parties  had  been  brought  up  together  on  one 
side  or  other  of  the  water. 

Among  the  young  ladies  was  a  cousin  of  Miss  Win- 
throp,  a  Miss  Mattie  Elmwood,  from  Bloomfield,  a  small 
suburban  village  near  by.  The  young  lady  was  midway, 
as  she  told  Fred,  between  the  eldest  and  the  youngest 
of  nine  children.  Her  parents  were  humble  people,  and 
they  lived  in  a  quiet  way  ;  but  she  hoped  Agnes  would 
fulfil  her  promise  of  driving  Fred  out  to  see  them. 

"If  you  want  to  understand  America,  Captain  Co- 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        205 

nant,"  she  said,  "you  must  extend  your  observations 
to  the  poor,  who  are  an  important  element  of  this  com- 
monwealth, but  who,  like  all  true  Americans,  think 
themselves  as  good  as  their  neighbors.  We  can't  give 
you  a  practical  lesson  from  an  extreme  point  of  view ; 
but  we  are  Massachusetts  farmers,  and,  in  that  qual- 
ity, belong  to  a  class  which  one  of  your  countrymen, 
who  once  travelled  among  us,  described  as  'the  finest 
peasantry  on  the  face  of  God's  earth.'  I  should  like 
to  take  you  among  the  farmers  whose  lands  ars  smaller 
than  ours  ;  but  who  sleep  under  their  own  roof  and 
cultivate  their  own  soil.  Do  English  girls  never  speak 
of  such  things  ?  " 

Tom  hoped  they  did  speak  of  them. 

"Well,"  she  added,  "we  hear  so  much  of  the  diffu- 
sion of  the  good  things  among  the  people,  not  alto- 
gether of  wealth  and  culture,  but  comfort  and  intelli- 
gence, which  the  higher  classes — for  we  have  classes — 
used  to  absorb  more  than  they  do  now ;  and  we  are 
so  taught  to  find  the  solution  in  the  fact  that  each  man 
cultivates  his  own  here,  that  even  to  children  it  all 
seems  rudimentary,  so  my  father  says,  and  he  worships 
your  father.  He  says  you  can't  exactly  understand 
our  system,  unless  you  see  it  in  a  prosperous  community 
of  farmers  with  small  holdings.  It  is  not  very  hard  to 
get  the  idea,  or  I  should  not  myself  have  got  it ;  but 
father's  heart  is  set  on  having  you  come  to  Bloomfield, 
and  stay  until  he  has  shown  it  all  to  you.  He  says 
your  father  has  been  teaching  him  for  twenty  years, 
and  now  he  wants  to  return  the  compliment.  He  says 
the  farmers  of  Bloomfield  are  what  the  English  agricul- 
tural laborers  ought  to  be." 

"I  am  sure  my  father  will  go  if  he  can,"  said  Tom  ; 


206  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"it  is  just  in  the  line  of  his  studies,  but  I  shall  be  more 
diffident.  You  ought  to  teach  me." 

"You  are  joking,"  said  Miss  Elm  wood  ;  "  but  I  think 
I  could  teach  a  new-comer,  for  I  have  been  among  these 
scenes  all  my  life." 

Robert  had  found  a  young  lady,  familiar  with  art, 
who  knew  "  Kingsmere,"  his  estate  in  Scotland,  and 
who  had  in  her  own  house  sketches  of  landscape  she 
had  taken  there.  "  You  must  come  and  see  them,  Mr. 
Holt,"  she  said. 

Robert  politely  promised  to  call  the  next  morning. 
To  himself  he  said,  "  After  all,  how  small  the  world  is ! 
Here  I  am,  away  in  America,  and  I  find  among  strangers 
sketches  of  my  old  home.  I  wonder  shall  I  recognize 
them  ?  " 

Fred  Cuthbert's  attentions  had  been  general  as  well 
as  delightful  to  the  young  ladies,  and  they  declared  him 
to  be  a  most  agreeable  young  man.  The  Professor  im- 
mensely enjoyed  his  long  drive  behind  Mr.  Winthrop's 
fine  bays,  and  he  found  out  for  himself,  what  others  in- 
deed had  told  him,  that  his  host  was  an  able  man. 
At  dinner  that  night  there  were,  besides  the  Professor's 
party,  only  three  or  four  distinguished  men.  One  was 
a  fashionable  preacher,  though  a  man  of  great  eloquence 
and  high  spiritual  life ;  one  was  a  poet,  whose  wit  and 
genius  were  proverbial,  and  whose  muse  for  forty  years 
had  been  appreciated  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  ; 
another  was  a  learned  and  well-known  philanthropist^ 
somewhat  up  in  years,  an  advanced  radical  and  an  orator 
of  great  versatility  and  power. 

"  I  knew  you  were  fatigued,"  Mr.  Winthrop  had  said 
after  the  guests  retired,  "  but  I  thought  I  must  present 
to  you  a  few  of  our  remarkable  men." 


"WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        207 

Miss  Winthrop  extolled  the  clergyman,  eulogized 
tlie  "dear  old  poet,"  but  was  more  guarded  in  her 
praise  of  the  eloquent  philanthropist,  who,  though  she 
admired  him,  she  wished  was  less  rancorous  and  exer- 
cised more  charity.  "  I  remember  when  his  life  was  not 
safe  in  the  streets  of  Boston,  because  he  sought  freedom 
for  the  slaves,"  observed  the  Professor.  "  By  the  way, 
Agnes  had  an  uncle,  a  little  way  out  of  town,  who  has 
always  been  a  bosom-friend  and  a  firm  supporter  of 
our  philanthropist.  He  knows  him  as  well  as  any  man 
living,  and  says  that  he  is  at  heart  full  of  benevolence 
and  tenderness  ;  that  his  scathing  satire  and  extrav- 
agant denunciation  are  only  tricks  of  his  rhetoric,  and 
that  his  private  life  is  full  of  sweetness  and  charity." 

"  To  have  met  these  men  is  ample  recompense  for  my 
journey  across  the  water,  perilous  though  it  was,"  said 
the  Professor  politely.  "  I  shall  always  be  your  debtor, 
Mr.  Winthrop." 

"  Pardon  me,"  was  the  reply,"  America  is  honored 
by  that  journey  and  is  hastening  to  say  so.  My  guests 
are  honored  by  their  experience  to-night,  and,  I  have 
no  doubt,  you  felt  yourself  to  be  surrounded  by  kindred 
spirits,  and  that  an  unseen  magnetism  circulated  among 
you." 

"I  am  sure  your  compliments  are  kindly  meant," 
continued  Prof.  Conant, "  but  you  exaggerate.  What 
have  been  my  puny  efforts  compared  with  the  services 
of  those  who  struck  the  shackles  from  the  slave  ?  " 

"  If  my  admiration  and  gratitude  have  led  me  astray," 
rejoined  the  Senator,  "  my  countrymen  have  all  fallen 
into  the  same  error." 

That  night  George  and  his  sister  gave  Tom  and  Holt 
an  account  of  their  visit  to  Quebec,  of  their  recognition 


208  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

of  Miss  Lytton,  the  recovery  of  the  child,  and  the  im- 
provement in  the  condition  of  Madame  De  Luynes,  and 
of  their  expected  visit  to  them  in  Boston. 

"  You  must  both  come  and  see  them,"  said  Miss  Win- 
throp.  "  As  was  proper,  we  have  promised  them  to 
have  no  company  ;  the  visit  is  only  an  experiment  to 
try  what  change  of  scene  will  do ;  but  we  will,  I  am 
sure,  with  their  consent,  treat  you  as  members  of  the 
family.  George  is  more  cheerful,"  she  said  aside  to 
Tom,  "  and  I  do  what  I  can,  without  shocking  him,  to 
keep  his  mind  diverted.  Don't  you  think  Ethel  Lyt- 
ton beautiful?  " 

Tom  assented,  but  he  thought  he  knew  a  fairer  than 
she. 

"Ethel  was  kind  to  George,"  she  continued,  "she 
talked  and  drove  out  with  him,  and  at  times  seemed  to 
make  him  forget  his  own  sorrow.  It  is  all  so  distress- 
ing though,"  she  added.  "  Do  you  know,  Capt.  Co- 
nant,  there  is  a  lost  link  in  my  life,  and  I  only  found  it 
out  lately  ?  " 

Tom  pressed  for  an  explanation  with  great  interest, 
but  was  a  little  disappointed  when  she  exclaimed, 
"  Oh  !  if  George  could  have  known  Ethel  before  he  met 
poor  Miss  Roberts !  Is  that  wicked  ? "  she  asked. 

"  No,"  said  Tom,  "  time  flies  ;  in  a  few  short  months 
what  may  not  happen,  which  you  and  I  tremble  to 
speak  of  now  !  " 

"I  thank  you,"  was  all  she  said,  but  her  manner 
seemed  to  add,  "I  must  lean  on  you  for  advice."  And 
he  answered  with  a  kiss. 

"  You  have  done  wrong,"  she  said  coquettishly  ;  "  let 
this  never  happen  again." 

"When  Tom  bade  George  "good  night,"  he  was  so 


"WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        209 

much  at  peace  with  the  world  that  he  congratulated  him 
on  his  seeming  more  cheerful,  and  said,  "  If  you  ever 
want  a  friend,  your  sister  will  tell  you  that  you  may 
trust  me." 

Next  morning  Robert  called  with  Fred  to  see  the 
sketches,  and  found  two  or  three  young  ladies  waiting 
to  receive  them.  The  artist  had  done  her  work  well, 
alike  in  choosing  her  company  and  in  selecting  her  land- 
scapes. They  admired  the  one  and  applauded  the 
other,  and  spent  the  morning  in  a  most  delightful  way. 
Fred  became  convinced  that  no  one  in  England,  save 
perhaps  his  sister  Alice,  could  compare  with  a  young 
Boston  lady,  and  Robert,  candid  Robert,  was  inclined 
to  admit  as  much,  though,  as  usual,  he  kept  such 
thoughts  to  himself. 

The  Professor  and  the  Senator  were  fast  growing  in- 
separable friends.  They  talked  of  politics,  of  books 
and  statecraft,  as  if  they  had  been  born  to  agree  ;  and 
some  of  the  young  people,  though  less  learned  in  their 
conversation,  seemed  equally  fascinated  and  drawn  to- 
gether. Some  were  serious  ;  would  they  be  constant  ? 
and  others,  alas  !  were  just  flirting/omfe  de  mieux. 

During  the  day,  many  of  the  elite  of  Boston  called  to 
pay  their  respects  to  the  Professor — magnates  from  the 
State  House,  savans  from  the  colleges  and  schools — 
and  thus  the  day  passed  and  the  night  came  which  was  to 
witness  Prof.  Conant's  first  reception  in  Boston.  It  was 
private  and  select ;  only  such  as  were  invited  guests 
attended.  But  "  the  solid  men "  and  their  wives  and 
daughters  were  there — men  eminent  in  theology,  law, 
medicine,  commerce  and  letters  ;  do  we  put  the  first 
last? — but  in  that  congenial  atmosphere  they  were 
numerous  and  distinguished. 


210  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

The  Professor  and  his  friends  received  an  ovation 
that  charmed  and  delighted  them,  and  accepted  it  in 
the  highest  of  good  spirits,  and  for  the  whole  week 
Boston  threw  wide  open  her  homes  and  hearts  to  greet 
the  great  English  statesman. 

The  Professor  had  already  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Gen.  Enoch  Elmwood,  of  Bloomfield,  and  the  whole 
party  had  promised  to  spend  a  day  with  him.  Dr. 
Elmwood,  his  brother,  would  join  him  there.  Agnes 
was  in  high  spirits  about  the  visit,  till  she  found  it 
would  be  impossible  to  persuade  George  to  go.  The 
last  time  he  had  visited  his  uncle,  he  said,  had  been  to 
confide  to  him  the  secret  of  his  engagement  and  ap- 
proaching marriage.  To  revisit  him  now  would  be  to 
recall  painful  memories. 

Tom  endeavored  to  persuade  him  with  cheering  words, 
and  his  sister  besought  him  to  yield  ;  they  all  expected 
him,  she  said,  and  everyone  would  be  disappointed. 

"  Don't  press  me,  little  one,"  George  answered,  "  it  is 
hard  to  refuse  you,  but  I  should  only  be  a  cloud  upon 
the  spirits  of  the  whole  party." 

Enoch  Elmwood  was  an  only  brother  of  the  Doctor. 
He  was  older  by  several  years,  and  had  struggled  with 
poverty  in  early  life  ;  but  he  now  enjoyed  a  comfortable 
competence,  though  he  had  always  snatched  from  the 
pursuits  of  his  frugal  life  time  enough  to  study  public 
affairs,  and  to  comprehend  the  principles  which  he 
thought  should  guide  them.  He  was  earnest  and 
intense  in  his  convictions,  and  was  a  typical  Puritan  in 
his  exacting  devotion  to  duty.  He  was  kind  and  tender- 
hearted toward  all  who  suffered ;  but  he  could  hold  no 
truce  with  wrong-doers  ;  so  long  as  they  were  perverse, 
he  was  intolerant,  and  would  smite  them  hip  and  thigh. 


"WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        211 

He  loved  his  country,  whose  government  he  believed 
was  the  best  in  the  world,  and  which  had  been  estab- 
lished after  much  persecution  and  was  maintained  in 
the  midst  of  many  trials.  He  had  been  conspicuous  in 
the  anti-slavery  controversies  of  Massachusetts  before 
the  war,  and  had  gone  to  the  front  when,  finally,  the 
sword  was  drawn  and  the  scabbard  thrown  away.  He 
had  raised  a  company  of  the  three  months'  men,  first 
called  out  by  President  Lincoln ;  but  he  had  continued 
in  the  service  as  long  as  he  was  needed,  and  adorned  it 
with  many  brave  deeds.  He  had  gone  out  a  captain, 
but  returned  a  general  of  brigade,  "  thankful,"  as  he 
said,  when  his  country's  enemies  had  surrendered,  "  to 
return  to  the  quiet  cultivation  of  the  farm."  "  I  went 
with  two  sons  tc  the  war,"  he  remarked ;  "  they  both 
fought  at  my  side,  and  laid  down  their  lives  there. 
Tens  of  thousands  did  like  me  with  no  thought  of  gain, 
and  yet  our  critics  called  us  mercenary,  and  said  that 
we  had  shown  our  patriotism  by  hiring  foreign  sub- 
stitutes to  carry  on  the  war.  I  was  in  the  Massachu- 
setts First  Regiment,"  said  he  to  the  Professor,  "  and 
their  time  had  expired,  and  we  expected  to  have  been 
mustered  out,  just  before  the  battle  of  the  'Wilder- 
ness ; '  but  we  remained  till  after  the  engagement,  and 
suffered  seriously  in  dead  and  wounded.  The  troops 
were  then  transported  to  Boston  direct,  but  I  came  in 
before  them.  It  was  a  touching  sight  as  those  worn 
and  shattered  veterans  marched  through  the  streets  of 
the  city.  I  think  there  was  a  public  welcome ;  but 
what  touched  me  was  the  manner  in  which  the  common 
people,  whose  battles  they  had  been  fighting,  mingled 
with,  recognized  and  embraced  them.  Discipline  was 
almost  impossible.  There  had  been  no  accurate  news 


212  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

of  the  casualties  in  the  last  fight,  and  the  friends  of  the 
brave  soldiers  did  not  yet  know  who  were  returning  to 
them.  Fathers,  mothers,  sisters  and  brothers,  from  the 
door-steps,  from  the  wagons,  from  every  elevation,  were 
peering  into  those  serried  ranks  for  the  sight  of  some 
dear  one  whom  they  expected  and  whom  sometimes 
they  found,  but  who  as  often  had  fallen  by  the  way. 
It  was  a  touching  sight,  but  war  is  full  of  such  pathetic 
incidents." 

General  Elmwood  was  a  religious  man,  his  soul  was 
full  of  reverence,  but  he  had  not  preserved  the  severe 
orthodoxy  of  his  Puritan  fathers.  Punishment,  to  his 
mind,  was  sure  to  follow  sin,  but  he  hoped  it  was  to  be 
a  beneficial  discipline ;  he  dwelt  most,  however,  upon 
God's  goodness,  and  Christ's  sacrifice  for  all  men,  and 
his  kind  nature  was  agonized  at  the  thought  that  any 
soul  could  be  lost.  "  Our  fathers  would  turn  in  their 
graves,"  he  said,  "  if  they  could  realize  how  the  New 
England  of  to-day  is  softening  the  rigors  of  her  austere 
theology ;  but  I  have  given  the  subject  much  thought, 
and  cannot  believe  we  are  the  worse  for  it." 

Bloomfield  was  a  tranquil  New  England  village,  clean 
and  thrifty,  such  as  everybody  has  seen,  and  General 
Elmwood's  hospitable  farm-house  stood  like  a  country 
bungalow,  on  an  eminence  above  the  town.  Somo  peo- 
ple, of  local  importance,  had  been  invited  to  lunch,  and 
altogether  they  were  a  large  party,  but  the  long  dining- 
hall,  which,  at  the  busy  season,  was  used  to  serve  meals 
in  to  those  whom  the  General  usually  called  his 
"  helps,"  was  made  to  do  service,  and  there  was  ample 
room  for  all.  One  faature  of  the  entertainment  was 
especially  noticeable  to  Fred  Cuthbert.  When  they  all 
sat  down  to  their  mid-day  meal,  what  he  would  have 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        213 

called  tlie  "servants,"  took  their  places  at  the  table 
with  the  family,  and,  more  than  once,  the  farm  hands 
contributed  to  the  conversation.  It  was  a  new  depart- 
ure for  our  friends,  though  they  were  too  well  bred  to 
notice  it ;  but  Fred  whispered,  "  we  have  all  men  free 
and  equal  at  last." 

The  Professor  listened  more  than  he  talked.  He 
drew  out  the  village  schoolmaster  on  the  subject  of 
graded  schools ;  the  county  sheriff  on  the  causes  and 
expenses  of  land-sales  ;  and  a  bright  little  woman,  who 
was  understood  to  write  for  "  the  Press,"  told  him 
what  she  knew  of  the  kindergarten  and  Chautauqua 
systems.  The  village  editor  diecussed  the  temperance 
question,  and  expressed  the  hope  that  his  friends 
would  make  it  a  party  shibboleth  by-and-bye. 

"Yes,"  said  the  General,  "that  is  one  of  the  great 
questions  of  the  future.  Is  the  State  to  furnish  poison 
which  induces  crime,  and  then  punish  the  people  for 
committing  it?  Another  question  of  the  near  future, 
is  that  of  woman's  rights  ;  it  is  making  its  way,  though 
I  confess  I  don't  see  through  it  in  all  its  bearings  as 
yet.  I  have  no  doubt  about  a  woman's  right  to  vote  ; 
what  troubles  me  is  to  know  whether  its  exercise  would 
elevate  or  degrade  her." 

"  Male  politicians  are  not  a  great  success,  but  you 
would  not  take  the  franchise  from  men  on  that  account," 
said  the  Professor.  The  conversation  soon  became 
general,  and  everybody  seemed  to  take  an  intelligent 
interest  in  it.  After  lunch  the  Professor  received  a 
committee  of  farmers  who  called  to  present  resolutions 
of  a  public  meeting  held  the  night  before,  and  who  at 
the  earnest  solicitation  of  General  Elmwood  remained 
after  their  business  was  over. 


214  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"I  wanted  you  to  meet  these  gentlemen,"  said  the 
General,  "because  they  represent  important  interests 
in  this  country  of  the  agricultural  class,  as  the  proprie- 
tors of  their  own  farms,  who  are  neither  pestered  by 
landlords  nor  by  rents ;  who  are  sheltered  by  their 
own  roofs  and  till  their  own  acres.  If  a  feudal,  instead 
of  a  democratic  society  had  grown  up  here,  its  revenues 
would  have  gone  to  the  lords,  who  would  have  become 
rich,  while  these  men  would  be  correspondingly  poor. 
Now,  if  you  will  visit  a  hundred  farms  about  this  place, 
you  will  find  reasonable  comfort,  a  surprising  intelli- 
gence, and  a  general  independence  of  thought  and 
action,  which  come  of  having  been  trained  to  call  no 
man  master." 

"  The  statement  is  full  of  interest,"  said  the  Pro- 
fessor ;  "  the  relations  between  the  land  and  its  tillers 
furnish  in  my  country  what  has  hitherto  been  an  in- 
solvable  problem.  In  America  you  have  solved  it  as 
you  suggest,  but  at  home,  where  we  are  required  to 
uproot  a  bad  system  of  great  antiquity,  the  obstacles 
are  incalculable." 

"The  difference  is,"  said  Holt,  "that  here  the  peo- 
ple own  the  land  and  enjoy  the  revenues,  while,  there, 
they  seem  born  only  to  pay  tribute  to  noble  holders. 
I  could  name  less  than  forty  families  of  the  titled 
aristocracy  of  England,  who  govern  that  country.  It 
has  been  claimed  that  each  of  these  families  averages  a 
supply  to  every  House  of  Commons  of  three  members, 
not  to  mention  their  seats  in  the  Lords  and  their  hold 
upon  every  department  of  administration.  Look  at  this 
American  picture,  and  see  what  might  happen  if  all  men 
could  enjoy  equal  rights  as  to  the  acquisition  of  land 
in  England. " 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."       215 

"Bloomfield,  though  a  model  town,"  observed  the 
Senator,  "I  am  afraid  does  not  fairly  represent  the 
whole  range  of  agricultural  prosperity.  The  "West  is 
the  great  scene  of  settlement  now ;  individuals  are 
holders  of  large  tracts,  and  railway  companies  have 
been  granted  areas  broad  enough  for  kingdoms.  A 
good  many  things  may  happen  before  the  settler  of  to- 
day is  quieted  like  these  Bloomfield  folk  in  their  in- 
dependent holdings." 

"  That  would  not  affect  the  matter,  so  far  as  I  am 
concerned,"  replied  the  Professor,  "though  it  shows 
that  in  some  parts  of  America  there  are  still  some  les- 
sons to  learn." 

The  committee  vouchsafed  their  views  like  men  who 
understood  whereof  they  were  speaking.  The  school- 
master said  there  was  a  new  study  of  American  history, 
which  ought,  for  the  sake  of  accuracy,  to  be  mentioned, 
and  which  to  some  extent  controlled  current  ideas. 
The  Puritan  organization  was  not  original,  nor  was 
it  precisely  in  old  time  as  it  is  now.  New  England 
towns  were  but  a  survival  of  Teutonic  customs,  which 
Tacitus  had  described,  and  which  could  be  traced  in 
Germany  to  this  day.  The  Saxons  carried  them  into 
Britain.  They  survived  the  Conquest,  and  the  founders 
of  New  England  brought  them  here.  He  had  just  been 
reading  a  book  which  dealt  with  this  subject,  and  the 
agricultural  community  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and  was 
said  to  solve  the  old  puzzle  of  the  English  lawyers  about 
certain  customs  of  village  land-holdings,  which  antedated 
the  feudal  system.  The  New  England  towns  originally 
were  founded  on  the  idea  of  a  village  community  of 
allied  families,  settled  near  for  social  intercourse 
and  defense,  but  there  was  a  common  street  Fields 


216  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

were  allotted  in  the  same  way  to  individuals,  but  they 
were  fenced  under  the  communal  plan.  These  customs 
were  inherited  from  the  Saxons,  and  have  not  altogether 
faded  away.  Vestiges  of  these  common  properties  are 
still  to  be  found.  In  Plymouth  there  are  two  hun- 
dred acres  now  known  as  town-lands.  A  company  of 
twenty-four  proprietors,  heirs  of  the  first  settlers,  own  a 
hundred  and  thirty  acres,  called  the  town-neck,  in  the 
old  town  of  Sandwich,  on  Cape  Cod.  Every  year  the 
proprietors  meet  to  regulate  the  pasturage,  attend  to  the 
fencing,  and  to  elect  a  moderator  and  a  clerk,  with  juris- 
diction over  the  property.  And  a  recent  writer,  speaking 
of  Virginia  and  New  England,  may  have  had  some- 
thing of  this  kind  in  his  mind  while  supposing  both  to 
be  the  most  strictly  English  parts  of  the  United  States, 
and  that  the  mixture  of  any  foreign  element  in  the 
original  settlement  must  have  been  very  small ;  he 
adds,  "  the  two  lands  represent  two  different  sides  of 
England.  Virginia  more  nearly  followed  England  at 
the  time  of  the  settlement,  and  New  England,  the  Eng- 
land of  an  earlier  time." 

The  Professor  assured  them  that  their  position  shed 
light  upon  the  controversy.  "A  young  man  studies 
law,"  he  said,  "  from  musty  books  in  a  dingy  hall ; 
there  is  a  dry  statement  of  principles,  but  he  does  not 
understand  them  very  well  until  he  enters  the  courts, 
follows  the  practice,  and  applies  a  procedure  ;  in  short, 
sees  how  it  all  works,  then  all  becomes  clear,  and  he 
comprehends  it.  Just  so  with  us,  who  theorize  in  our 
relations  to  you,  who  show  us  what  you  are  doing." 

"A  general  proprietorship  is  a  strong  conservative 
element  in  any  country,"  remarked  Dr.  Elmwood. 
"  What  civilization  has  most  to  dread  is  communistic 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."       217 

teaching  among  dissatisfied  masses  of  people.  It  is 
comparatively  easy  to  convince  the  man  with  nothing 
that  the  acquisition  of  property  is  a  sin ;  give  that  man 
a  home  of  his  own,  with  the  blessings  of  comfort  around 
it,  and  he  will  change  from  being  the  enemy  of  society 
to  being  its  friend  and  defender." 

"And  now  I  must  interrupt  you,  gentlemen,"  said 
the  General,  "  for  apropos  of  agricultural  enterprise,  I 
must  show  the  Professor  my  flocks  and  herds."  They 
examined  the  capacious  barns,  and  inspected  the  broad 
and  highly  cultivated  meadows,  in  which  occupation 
the  young  people,  in  high  spirits,  joined.  They  saw 
choice  breeds  of  cattle,  and  the  enthusiastic  owner 
explained  their  best  points,  and  made  practical  sugges- 
tions, Before  they  returned  to  town,  it  had  been 
arranged  that  the  General  and  his  daughter  should 
visit  them  the  next  morning.  Dr.  Conant  was  to  dine 
with  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  an  eccentric  man 
of  great  parts,  who  had  commanded  at  important  posts 
during  the  war,  and  whose  military  record  was  still  a 
subject  of  dispute.  He  had  won  his  present  position 
by  one  of  those  reactions  which  sometimes  befriend 
popular  leaders,  and  his  administration  had  given  rise 
to  controversies  in  the  State,  more  varied  and  more 
bitter  than  Massachusetts  had  known  for  years.  Our 
Senator  had  declined  an  invitation,  but  he  told  the 
Doctor  he  was  to  meet  a  remarkable  man  whose  mili- 
tary record  had  been  cruelly  misunderstood  in  England. 
Tew  men  have  a  better  knowledge  of  public  affairs, 
and  you  will  find  his  conversation  brilliant  and  instruc- 
tive.' The  young  people  were  to  attend  the  theater, 
where  a  celebrated  play  had  been  running  a  hundred 
nights,  and  all  the  actors,  men  and  women,  were  Ameri- 
10 


218  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

cans.  Dr.  Elmwood  and  George  spent  the  evening  at 
home  with  the  Senator.  They  discussed  the  events  of 
the  week,  and  all  agreed  that  the  visit  of  Professor 
Conant  and  his  party  had  been  a  rare  treat  to  the  good 
people  of  Boston. 

"  I  am  in  love  with  Tom  Conant,"  said  George.  "  I 
believe  there  is  the  material  for  great  things  in  him." 

Both  uncles  cordially  assented,  and  shortly  after 
withdrew  for  a  game  of  billiards,  leaving  George  alone. 

"What  a  strange  thing  is  the  human  heart,"  said 
George,  thoughtfully.  "  A  few  weeks  ago  all  these 
people  were  in  the  midst  of  death,  but  now  they  have 
gathered  up  the  threads  of  life  again,  and  who  would 
dream  that  they  had  ever  known  disaster  ?  And 
should  it  not  be  so  ?  for,  if  a  single  grief  should  darken 
a  whole  life,  there  would  be  no  room  for  poignancy  in 
our  later  bereavements.  And  what  am  I  ?  Is  my  heart, 
which  was  so  stricken,  retaining  the  sting ;  or  do  the 
mists  lift,  and  are  the  clouds  floating  away?  Did 
she  love  me,  or  had  she  turned  to  another?  I  can 
never  know.  Could  I  mourn  for  her  if  she  loved  me 
not  ?  Lord,  lead  me  aright  that  I  may  not  cast  away 
grief  unduly,  nor  mourn  beyond  the  measure  of  my 
loss." 

The  next  morning  Tom  received  a  letter  from  Lord 
Bolton  ;  he  thanked  him  for  an  invitation  to  join  their 
party,  spoke  of  the  honor  paid  to  Tom's  father  in 
Boston,  more  cordially,  according  to  a  morning  jour- 
nal which  he  quoted,  than  had  ever  been  paid  to  an 
Englishman  in  this  country.  He  said  the  day  was 
"beastly,"  dark,  rainy  and  cold,  and,  after  a  few  like 
commonplaces,  added :  "  I  suppose  you  will  be  here 
to-morrow.  I  am  awfully  seedy,  and  I  am  dying  to  get 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        219 

away.  I  think  of  going  to  the  Pacific  coast.  It  would 
bo  rest,  and,  in  any  case,  distraction.  My  dear  boy, 
come  with  me !  I  am  always  happier  when  I  am  with 
you." 

"  I  must  go  to  him,  father,"  said  Tom,  and  he  glanced 
furtively  at  Agnes,  whose  color  came  and  went.  "  Poor 
old  Bolton  is  in  trouble  and  he  needs  me." 

"  You  won't  go  to  California,  Capt.  Conant  ?  "  Agnes 
inquired. 

"  No,"  replied  Tom,  with  a  look  that  reassured  her. 

"  We  must  all  go  to-morrow,"  said  the  Professor,  "  my 
time  is  drawing  near." 

In  the  meanwhile  Dr.  Elmwood,  with  the  General 
and  his  daughter,  arrived,  and  there  was  an  excitement 
of  welcome  and  greeting.  The  General  was  in  high 
spirits.  "  I  reckon  you  don't  have  such  sunshine  as  this  in 
England,"  he  remarked  to  the  Professor  as  he  wandered 
off  with  him  in  a  conversation  about  the  weather,  the 
crops,  and  other  topics,  into  which  we  shall  not  follow 
them. 

Tom  was  deprecating  the  acceptance  of  hospitalities 
for  such  a  "  crowd,"  as  he  called  the  Professor's  party. 

"  My  uncle  says  he  never  enjoyed  a  week  so  much  in 
his  life,"  observed  Agnes. 

"Well,  we  can  all  say  that,"  Tom  replied;  "but  I 
don't  know  how  it  would  be  if  we  had  to  bear  the  bur- 
dens of  the  host.  The  fact  is,  I  don't  think  I  can  judge 
for  the  others." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  my  circumstances  are  so  different." 

"  Tell  me  how,"  she  inquired  coyly,  pretending  not  to 
Understand  him. 

"Well,"  said  Tom,  "I  have  ' a  friend  at  court.'     My 


220  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

dear  little  friend  is  a  fairy ;  I  have  only  to  wish  and 
my  wish  is  gratified." 

"  You  will  have  to  be  more  explicit  if  you  want  me  to 
understand  you,"  Agnes  responded. 

Then  he  made  his  meaning  so  plain  to  her  that  she 
comprehended  it  all.  "  You  are  my  fairy,"  he  said. 

"  No,  no,  not  that,"  murmured  Agnes ;  "  let  us  be 
serious.  Have  you  enjoyed  your  visit  to  Boston  ?  " 

"More  than  I  can  find  words  to  express,"  Tom 
answered. 

"  And  your  friends  ?  " 

"  They  have  all  been  delighted  beyond  measure." 

"  "What  do  you  think  of  the  people  you  have  met  ?  " 

"  Men  and  women,  one  could  not  find  their  superiors 
anywhere." 

"  Dear  old  Boston  seems  very  charming  to  me," 
Agnes  said,  absently. 

"  Why,  I  should  have  thought  myself  in  an  English 
city,"  observed  Tom. 

"  Do  you  still  believe  it  is  so  very  essential  that  a 
city  must  be  English  in  order  to  charm  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  no,"  replied  Tom,  "  but  to  find  it  English 
would  be  the  highest  compliment  I  could  pay  it.  You 
know  England  is  my  home,  and  I  haven't  been  long 
enough  in  America  to  forget  my  attachment  to  it ;  but 
every  day  I  am  here  I  find  something  to  surprise  and 
delight  me.  When  I  came  to  Boston  I  at  once  felt  at 
home.  My  opinions  are  of  small  consequence,  except 
perhaps  to  you.  What  I  say,  I  feel.  Would  you  ask 
me  to  say  more  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no ! "  she  responded ;  "  that  you  and  your  father 
have  been  pleased  with  your  visit  is  gratifying  to  us  all, 
and  to  no  one  more  than  to  me." 


"  WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."         221 

"  Some  time  you  will  be  English,"  he  said,  caressingly. 

"And  -would  that  involve  forgetting  Boston  ? "  she 
asked. 

"  Oh,  no ! "  was  the  reply  ;  "  all  our  lives  we  will  to- 
gether love  and  admire  Boston." 

"  My  darling !  "  he  continued,  "  places  go  for  little  in 
the  calculation  I  invite  you  to  make.  Could  you  leave 
Boston  and  come  to  London?" 

"  I  know  what  I  could  do,"  she  said ;  "  but  we  won't 
speak  of  that  now.  Let  us  be  happy  and  not  think  of 
such  startling  changes." 

"  But  when  may  I  speak?  You  know  we  are  to  leave  in 
the  morning,"  urged  Tom.  "  I  can't  keep  silent  forever." 

"  Speak  when  you  are  bidden,  sir,"  she  answered ; 
"  and  now  come  to  the  drawing-room  with  me." 

Tom  gently  tried  to  detain  her,  but  she  bounded 
away  with  his  hand  in  hers,  and  thus  ended  another 
attempt  to  declare  himself. 

Fred  Cuthbert  and  Miss  Elmwood  had  been  enjoying 
a  tete-a-tete.  The  latter  had  been  giving  Fred  her  ideas 
of  American  life  and  manners.  "  I  have  never  been  in 
Europe,"  Miss  Elm  wood  remarked ;  "  but  I  suppose  you 
are  ever  so  much  wiser  and  more  polished  there." 

"  "Well,  no,"  Fred  answered ;  "  we  are  older,  and  of 
course  that  counts  for  something.  I  used  to  give  Eng- 
land credit  for  greater  superiority  before  I  came  here. 
And  as  for  Bloomfield,  I  don't  know  what  could  sur- 
pass the  interest  one  feels  in  those  old  farmers  and 
their  wives  and  daughters  whom  we  met  there.  Do  you 
know  I  begin  to  think  that  we  attach  too  much  import- 
ance to  more  geographical  distinctions?  It  isn't  because 
a  man  is  English  or  American  that  he  is  refined  or 
agreeable.  Gentle  manners  everywhere  denote  the 


222  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

same  thing.  In  England  we  have  titles  and  wealth,  and 
here  you  have  wealth  without  titles  ;  but  they  all  mean 
little  without  the  adornment  of  cultivated  minds." 

"  Well,  it  appears  to  me  that  is  a  very  democratic 
statement,"  said  Miss  Elmwood.  "  To  the  aristocracy 
of  intellect  we  all  subscribe,  but  I  never  expected  to 
hear  such  doctrines  from  you." 

"  Perhaps  I  am  a  little  off  the  beaten  track,  and  I 
may  have  seen  America  through  the  ministry  of  unusual 
fascinations ;  but  you  and  I  shall  never  get  far  apart  if 
all  you  ask  me  to  believe  is  that  mind  should  be  more 
powerful  than  millions ;  and  if  the  common  people,  as 
we  call  them,  were  fairly  represented  by  some  of  the 
gentlemen  we  have  met  here,  who  escaped  early  from 
their  ranks,  and  have  been  for  a  life-time  undergoing 
the  polish  of  study  and  thought,  then  even  that  distinc- 
tion might  be  abandoned." 

It  was  to  be  the  Professor's  last  night  in  Boston ; 
a  good  many  friends  were  calling  to  take  an  uncere- 
monious leave  ;  and  that  good  man  was  warmly  thank- 
ing everybody  for  the  generous  welcome  he  had  re- 
ceived. "It  is  not  strange,"  he  said,  "that  England 
and  America  sometimes  find  it  difficult  to  understand 
each  other.  There  are  rivalries  of  commerce,  opposing 
fiscal  systems,  and  many  men  in  each  country  hostile  to 
the  other ;  but  as  to  our  great  mission  of  freedom  we 
have  a  common  work  to  perform.  We  have  each  our 
national  faults  and  failings,  which  require  a  season  of 
peace  and  prosperity  to  get  rid  of.  It  is  the  interest 
of  each  that  the  other  should  grow  freer  and  stronger. 
There  ought  to  be  a  united  English-speaking  race 
throughout  the  world.  I  do  not  speak  of  a  union  of 
treaties  and  alliances,  but  one  of  common  aims  and  pur- 


"TTJ7  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        223 

poses, which  spring  from  sentiments  of  universal  brother- 
hood, and  a  sense  of  common  duties  each  has  to  fulfill. 

The  young  people  had  been  busy  in  paying  calls  and 
bidding  adieu  to  friends,  but  now  that  they  were  at 
home  again,  the  parlors  were  thronged  with  Boston 
folk  who  had  "  just  dropped  in  "  to  say  good-bye ;  and 
there  was  in  the  appearance  of  things  a  suspicion  of 
impending  change  and  the  obvious  din  of  preparation, 
as  if  one's  engagements  had  been  fulfilled,  and  the  hour 
of  departure  were  at  hand. 

"  To-morrow  will  be  Evacuation  day,"  said  Fred  to 
Miss  "Winthrop,  "and  then  the  weary  may  rest." 

"  Are  you  studying  our  patriotic  nomenclature  ?  "  she 
inquired. 

"One  may  learn  without  study  here,"  replied  Fred. 
"  Everything  is  in  such  big  print,  you  can  read  it  like 
Sam  Slick  by  moonlight." 

"  Then  you  shall  read  to  ma  by-and-bye,"  she  said 
gayly,  "  but  you  must  read  to  my  guests  now." 

As  he  mingled  with  the  bright  throng  and  was  lost 
to  view,  she  remarked  to  Kobert  who  approached  her : 
"  How  saucily  he  carries  himself ;  what  a  fund  he  has  of 
humor  and  wit !  " 

"  Ho  is  a  fine  fellow,"  said  Robert,  "  and  full  of  good 
nature,  though  we  call  him  '  the  cynic.'  But  really  if 
he  was  intended  for  a  wit  I  think  his  make-up  is  rather 
feeble." 

"  Oh,  you  are  serious,  Mr.  Holt ;  you  are  not  in  a 
mood  to  appreciate  funny  things." 

"  Well,  I  sometimes  laugh,  at  any  rate,  as  I  did  at 
poor  Fred's  expense  this  morning.  We  were  driving 
along  the  river-side,  and  found  a  countryman  lazily  fish- 
ing from  its  banks. 


224  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

" '  What  are  you  fishing  for  there,  my  man/  asked 
Fred,  with  an  air  of  hauteur,  which  the  countryman  re- 
sented. 

" '  I'm  fishin'  a'ter  Britishers,'  he  answered  quizzically, 
"  but  'taint  no  kind  o'  use.  They  don't  bite  here's  as 
they  did  in  76.'  " 

George  had  responded  to  Tom's  invitation,  and  had 
unreservedly  given  him  his  full  confidence.  "  She  was 
so  good,  and  so  beautiful,"  he  said ;  "  I  thought  her  the 
loveliest  of  women.  My  sister  spoke  of  another  man's 
brilliant  and  dazzling  suit.  Something  in  her  last  letter 
had  almost  prepared  me  for  it.  Would  she  have  asked 
me  to  release  her?  Agnes  does  not  help  me.  She 
knows  nothing,  she  says." 

Tom  knew  that  Agnes  refrained  from  defending  the 
memory  of  Miss  Roberts,  because  she  saw  in  George's 
doubts  a  mitigation  of  his  grief. 

"It  is  not  all  clear,  even  to  me,"  she  had  said;  "she 
was  loyal  to  him,  but  did  she  love  him?  " 

"  That  is  what  we  can  never  know,"  Tom  answered  ; 
but  he  gave  no  hint  of  all  this  to  George,  as  silence  had 
been  enjoined  upon  him  by  his  sister. 

And  then  they  spoke  of  Agnes,  whom  both  worshiped, 
from  different  points  of  view ;  and  George  related  how, 
since  her  return,  she  was  devoting  herself  to  charities, 
hunting  out  and  relieving  the  destitution  of  the  poor ; 
and  Tom's  big  heart  throbbed  quicker  as  he  recognized 
in  Miss  Winthrop  an  early  follower  of  his  good  mother's 
example. 

"  Now  I  must  go,  George,"  he  said ;  "  but  if  you  ever 
need  a  sympathetic  friend,  you  will  always  know  where 
to  find  Tom  Conant." 

He  sought  Miss  Winthrop  and  was  distressed  to  find 


"WE  ARE  MASSACHUSETTS  FARMERS."        225 

her  in  low  spirits.  "  Why  are  you  sad,  my  darling," 
he  inquired  ;  but  she  gave  him  her  hand  without  heed- 
ing his  question. 

"  Has  something  happened  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Then  why  are  you  sad  ?  "  he  persisted. 

"  But  something  is  about  to  happen ;  are  not  you  going 
away  ?  "  she  asked,  and  her  gray  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

Tom  rendered  his  answer  as  he  had  done  before,  but 
this  time  without  reproof,  and  she  nestled  in  his  strong 
arms  for  a  moment,  as  if  she  were  unable  to  break 
away. 

"  Sweet  one,"  said  Tom,  "  let  me  speak  to  your  uncle, 
now  that  my  father  is  here." 

"Not  now,"  she  replied;  "I  have  been  weak,  but  we 
must  wait.  Is  that  dreadful?  You  have  known  me  but 
three  months,"  she  added,  smiling ;  "but  you  will  come 
to  me  again  soon  and  we  shall  learn  to  know  each  other 
better." 

"  Do  you  doubt  me  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"My  dear  friend,"  she  responded  caressingly,  "when 
you  are  with  me,  I  doubt  nothing ;  I  forget  that  you  are 
not  mine,  and  that  your  good  heart  might  change  ;  but 
when  you  are  gone  my  faith  relaxes,  and  in  your  absence 
I  tremble  lest  I  may  not  see  you  again.  You  think  I 
am  weak ;  well,  strength  is  not  born  of  this  strange  new 
influence  under  which  I  am  falling.  I  must  resist  it, 
and  we  must  wait ;  but  my  uncle  says  you  may  write  me 
sometimes.  We  shall  not  see  each  other  alone  again. 
We  will  go  to  the  others.  Good-bye,"  and  in  spite  of 
all,  they  embraced  like  young  people  who  almost  under- 
stood each  other. 

"  Good-bye,"  Tom  repeated ;  "  you  are  a  cruel  little 
10* 


226  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

darling,  but  God  bless  you."  And  as  they  rejoined  their 
friends  the  great  pictures  on  the  walls  smiled  upon 
them  in  the  gaslight,  as  if  their  choice  was  approved 
and  their  secret  safe. 

Next  morning  our  travellers  returned  through  a 
rough  but  beautiful  country,  flanked  with  small  villages 
and  thrifty  towns.  The  press  had  given  notice  of  the 
train  by  which  they  would  journey,  and  all  along  the 
route  crowds  of  people  beset  the  station  and  thronged 
the  cars,  eager  to  catch  sight  of  the  great  Englishman 
who  stood  by  their  country's  cause  in  her  hour  of  peril. 
Everywhere,  as  the  train  approached  and  departed 
from  the  stations,  the  Professor .  was  welcomed  and 
cheered  on  by  the  heartiest  salutations. 

On  his  arrival  in  New  York,  Tom  found  a  note  from 
Lord  Bolton,  saying  that  he  was  too  restless  to  remain, 
and  had  gone  to  Canada  for  a  day  or  two.  They  all 
found  "  letters  from  home,"  full  of  congratulations  on 
their  escape  from  peril,  and  abounding  in  kind  wishes 
for  the  homeward  voyage.  Letters  from  home  are  as 
the  "  bread  of  life  "  to  the  far-off  wanderer  ;  and  these 
letters  cheered  our  friends  and  they  passed  their  even- 
ing happily  together. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA." 

NEXT  day  the  Professor  called  to  pay  his  respects  to 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  who  was  spending 
a  few  days,  like  any  private  gentleman,  at  one  of  the 
leading  hotels.  He  was  cordially  received,  and  was 
struck  by  the  absence  of  ostentation  and  parade  in  the 
going  and  coming  of  the  people's  king  in  America. 
Among  the  Professor's  callers  was  an  old  gentleman, 
well  stricken  in  years,  a  famous  philanthropist,  who  had 
spent  millions  in  benevolence,  himself  superintending 
the  administration  of  his  gifts  and  securing  the  best 
results,  "  instead  of,"  as  the  Professor  observed,  "  clutch- 
ing his  filthy  lucre  to  the  end,  and  then,  perhaps,  leaving 
his  vast  estates  to  some  extent  burdened  with  charita- 
ble bequests,  which  interested  neither  his  heirs  nor  his 
executors,  who  would  be  only  too  ready  to  set  aside  his 
charities  altogether  if  they  could." 

The  same  afternoon  he  was  waited  on  by  a  deputa- 
tion of  "  the  Irish  National  Land  League  of  America," 
to  congratulate  him  on  the  noble  sentiments  he  had 
from  time  to  time  expressed,  and  to  ask  his  good  offices 
in  their  behalf,  who  were  seeking  "  Home  Rule  for  Ire- 
land ; "  so  much  had  this  good  man  opened  his  great 
heart  to  all  the  people,  that  he  had  won  them  all.  Such 
things  would  oftener  happen  if  public  men  were  more 
sympathetic  and  sincere. 


228  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

That  night  the  party  -was  to  be  entertained  by  the 
Hon.  Mr.  Douglas,  a  former  Secretary  of  State,  who 
had  flourished  in  earlier  days,  when  the  native  popula- 
tion had  organized  to  check  the  influence  of  the  foreign 
element,  and  claimed  "  America  for  the  Americans." 

"And  we  were  right,  too,"  he  said  to  the  Professor,  as 
they  discussed  this  subject ;  "  we  violated  no  traditions 
and  we  preached  no  intolerance  ;  but  we,  who  were 
Americans  by  birth,  whose  all  was  at  stake  here,  found 
ourselves  in  many  places  outnumbered  and  outvoted 
by  foreigners,  who  knew  nothing  about  government, 
either  of  the  country  or  of  themselves,  and  who  could 
hardly  read  the  Constitution  in  the  vulgar  tongue. 
The  movement  was  not  a  success,  and  brought  down 
the  vengeance  of  the  foreign  population  upon  those  who 
promoted  it.  It  was  a  conspiracy  against  them,  they 
said  ;  but  had  we  not  a  right  to  conspire  ?  The  classes 
at  which  we  aimed  were  always  against  us,  in  a  solid 
body." 

"  This  is  all  very  dangerous  in  a  mixed  population," 
remarked  the  Professor.  "  I  suppose,  for  example,  our 
Irish  friends  who  honored  me  to-day,  and  would  at 
least  be  included  among  those  you  discriminated  against, 
were  influenced  chiefly  by  the  labor  question  and  the 
possibility  of  rivalry  from  the  negro." 

"Well,  yes,  but  not  chiefly,"  said  Mr.  Douglas; 
"  their  hostility  dates  farther  back.  When  our  govern- 
ment was  in  its  infancy,  the  followers  of  Washington 
and  Hamilton  dreaded  such  immigration  as  came  over  to 
us,  inflamed  with  the  passions  of  the  French  Revolu- 
tion ;  party  strife  ran  high,  and  party  spirit  was  rancor- 
ous. The  Whigs  sought  to  impose  restrictions,  and  the 
Democrats  defended  these  people.  Their  resentment 


«  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."  229 

on  the  one  hand,  and  their  debt  of  gratitude  on  the 
other,  have  moulded  their  politics  to  this  day  ;  and  the 
Republicans  inherited  from  the  Whigs.  No  doubt  the 
dissension  has  been  kept  alive,  as  more  recent  antago- 
nism developed,  but  the  negro  question  has  been  only 
one  of  many." 

"  We  must  always  expect  human  nature  to  develop 
two  currents  of  opinion,"  observed  the  Professor,  "  but 
there  is  positive  danger  to  any  community  whenever 
the  wrangles  of  race  and  creed  underlie  the  differences 
of  party.  They  may  smoulder  but  they  are  not  to 
be  quenched  ;  it  is  moreover  the  manifest  interest  of 
demagogues  to  keep  them  alive." 

"  At  the  worst  the  pressing  danger  is  confined  to  the 
cities,"  said  Mr.  Douglas.  "  The  immigrant  who  settles 
on  the  prairies  or  in  the  nearer  rural  districts,  has  quiet 
and  steady  occupation,  and  speedily  becomes  a  good 
citizen.  He  is  not  educated  as  his  son  will  be,  but  he 
has  a  house  to  be  taxed  and  defended,  which  gives  him 
an  interest  in  good  government,  and  he  is  removed 
from  the  worst  schools  of  vice  and  dissipation.  So 
there  is  a  chance  for  the  first  generation,  and  the 
country  will  have  a  stronger  hold  on  the  second." 

"Yes,  your  safety  lies  there,"  remarked  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  in  the  distribution  and  assimilation  of  foreign 
comers,  and  in  the  thorough  adaptation  and  efficiency 
of  your  schools.  But  I  am  afraid  I  am  a  sad  trial  to 
you  ladies,"  he  said,  rising,  and  bowing  to  Miss  Doug- 
las, "  my  time  is  so  short,  and  I  have  so  much  to  learn, 
that  I  set  every  body  speaking  to  me  of  public  ques- 
tions." 

"I  am  sure  Papa  is  not  unhappy,"  was  Miss  Doug- 
las's answer ;  "  I  have  enjoyed  so  much,  when  I  have 


230  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

heard  you  speak,  but  I  did  come  to  interrupt  you.  His 
Excellency,  the  President,  is  here,  and  desires  me  to 
present  his  compliments  to  Professor  Conant,  and  to 
you  Papa,  which  means,  I  expect,  that  he  wants  to  see 
you  both." 

"  Tour  Republican  King  abroad  among  his  subjects ! " 
said  the  Professor,  briskly. 

"Not  his  subjects,  but  his  people"  interposed  Miss 
Douglas.  And  they  withdrew  to  meet  the  great  man 
who  helps  fifty  odd  millions  of  people  to  govern  them- 
selves. 

They  found  the  President  awaiting  them,  and  after 
cordial  greetings,  he  led  them  into  conversation  about 
ordinary  topics.  A  new  interest  had  been  lately  given 
to  the  question  of  Civil  Eights,  as  it  affected  the  col- 
ored people ;  "  Were  they  to  be  recognized  in  law  as  the 
equals  of  white  men?  Could  they  be  discriminated 
against,  as  guests  in  hotels,  as  passengers  on  the  routes 
of  travel,  or  as  worshipers  in  the  churches  ?  " 

The  Professor  would  have  been  glad  to  know  the 
President's  views,  and  he  introduced  the  subject  cau- 
tiously. 

"  Oh,  we  have  spent  blood  and  treasure  enough  for 
the  negro,"  observed  Mr.  Douglas ;  "  he  must  let  us 
rest." 

"  In  all  we  have  done  for  the  negro  we  were  really 
serving  ourselves,"  said  the  President ;  "  as  to  his  social 
status  he  must  help  to  make  that.  A  gentleman  is  a 
man  of  intelligence  and  refinement,  black  or  white ; 
men  stand  with  each  other,  all  things  being  equal,  ac- 
cording to  their  work  as  men.  "We  must  not  insist  on 
privileges  for  the  negro  which  we  deny  to  the  white 
man,  and  which  he  is  unfitted  to  enjoy.  His  wrongs 


"THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."  231 

while  he  was  a  slave  have  directed  great  sympathy  to- 
ward him.  But  he  must  not  force  impossible  issues ; 
there  is  an  unjust  prejudice  against  him  now,  which  is 
gradually  fading  away.  We  may  let  it  fade,  but  we  can- 
not obliterate  it  by  force.  The  Civil  Bights  question 
will  settle  itself.  This  discrimination  against  race  on 
account  of  color  will  disappear.  Public  sentiment  is 
tending  that  way.  The  negro  will  be  a  guest  at  the 
same  hotels,  and  a  passenger  on  the  same  trains,  as  the 
white  man.  Some  white  men  will,  and  some  will  not, 
invite  him  to  dinner.  That  question  of  social  inequal- 
ity may  involve  hardships,  but  it  is  only  a  relic  of 
greater  hardships  which  have  been  wiped  out.  It,  too, 
may  go  in  time  and  perhaps  sooner  than  the  negro  him- 
self could  have  believed  emancipation  would  come,  a 
few  years  ago.  By  attempting  to  force  it  now  we  might 
perpetrate  another  tyranny.  Festina  lente,  in  this,  as  in 
most  other  things,  is  the  safe  motto." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  the  Professor,  "  among  mixed  popu- 
lations iron  rules  are  dangerous  pacificators.  Some  re- 
spect must  be  paid  to  the  habits,  and  even  the  preju- 
dices, of  a  people.  We  must  have  reasonable  patience 
and  sooner  or  later  the  right  will  prevail." 

"  Y-e-s,"  observed  Mr.  Douglas,  "  but  we  are  dealing 
with  old  enemies.  We  must  not  imitate  the  dough- 
faces, and  for  the  sake  of  quiet,  plead  for  delay." 

They  all  went  to  the  drawing-room,  to  find  the  guests. 
The  President  was  a  familiar  figure,  and  had  gone  in 
and  out  among  these  people  for  years.  The  Professor 
noticed  that  they  greeted  him  respectfully  and  cordially ; 
but  there  was  nothing  abject  or  servile  in  their  manner 
toward  him.  To  the  eminence  he  now  occupied  they 
might  all  aspire. 


232  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

Fred  Cutlibert  was  in  his  usual  good  spirits.  He  had 
been  catechised  by  Miss  Douglas,  as  to  his  opinion  of 
America.  We,  who  saw  him  falter  in  Boston,  might 
expect  him  to  capitulate  to  Miss  Douglas,  but  he  was 
more  wayward,  and  peals  of  laughter  were  provoked  by 
his  hits  and  drolleries.  As  he  was  taking  his  leave,  he 
said  to  Miss  Douglas,  "  the  one  thing  I  do  envy  Amer- 
ica is  her  young  ladies." 

"  You  might  have  spared  us  that,"  she  said,  curtly. 

"  Upon  my  honor,"  Fred  gallantly  remarked,  "  I  have 
never  met  in  any  society  before  such  a  proportion  of 
brilliant  and  fascinating  women." 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Cutlibert,  I  shall  expect  you  at 
eleven.  You  should  go  and  study  your  part  for  to- 
morrow." 

Next  morning  Tom  received  a  letter  from  Lord  Bolton, 
who  was  the  guest  of  the  Governor  of  Canada  at  Que- 
bec. It  reasserted  his  Lordship's  intention  to  visit  the 
west,  and  his  desire  that  Tom  should  go  with  him.  "  I 
cannot  give  you  any  gossiping  news,"  the  letter  went 
on,  "  but  what  seemed  to  me  a  strange  thing  happened 
last  night  at  dinner.  There  were  covers  for  fourteen. 
One  of  the  guests  at  the  last  moment  sent  an  excuse  on 
account  of  indisposition ;  this  left  us  to  be  thirteen  at 
table  !  Lord  Lester  refused  to  be  seated  till  a  young 
officer  had  been  sent  for  and  had  been  given  time  to 
array  himself.  '  You  know  the  superstition !  '  he  said 
to  me.  I  laughingly  told  him  I  had  heard  of  it,  but 
never  saw  it  officially  recognized  before.  'Well,'  he 
said,  'a  painful  case  greatly  shocked  society  here 
lately.  A  gentleman,  whose  hospitalities  were  proverb- 
ial, here,  found  himself  and  thirteen  guests  about  sit- 
ting down  at  table,  when  one  of  them  was  peremptorily 


"THE  PEOPLE'S  KINO  IN  AMERICA."         233 

called  away.  '  This  leaves  us  thirteen,'  said  the  host, 
carelessly,  '  but  if  it  means  death,  I  shall  be  the  victim, 
for  I  am  much  older  than  any  of  you.'  They  made  an 
unsuccessful  effort  to  fill  the  vacant  seat,  and  the  party 
was  constrained  and  gloomy.  Next  morning  the  host 
died  of  apoplexy.  The  sad  circumstance  created  a  pro- 
found impression.  I  am  not  superstitious,  but  I  would 
not  risk  making  my  guests  uncomfortable.'  I  was  in 
the  mood  to  be  impressed,  and  I  brooded  over  the 
superstition  long  after  I  had  retired." 

"  Let  me  say  about  that,  before  you  proceed,"  inter- 
rupted the  Professor,  "  that  this  mystic  superstition 
dates  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  and 
there  is  a  legend  that  good  King  Arthur's  Round  Table 
was  provided  among  others  with  thirteen  seats  to  repre- 
sent the  Apostles  of  our  Lord ;  twelve  for  the  faithful, 
and  one  for  Judas,  who  betrayed  Him.  The  most  val- 
iant knights  occupied  the  twelve,  and  if  one  of  these 
died,  his  seat  was  unoccupied  till  some  Knight  of  equal 
distinction  could  be  found  worthy  to  take  the  vacant 
place.  An  unworthy  candidate  was  repelled  by  magic. 
Only  once  was  the  thirteenth  seat  taken,  and  then  the 
haughty  Saracen  Knight,  who  intruded,  was  rewarded 
by  the  earth  yawning  beneath  and  swallowing  him. 
From  that  time,  thirteen  hundred  years  ago,  men  have 
dreaded  the  thirteenth  seat,  and  the  disasters  which 
from  time  to  time  have  befallen  its  occupants  have  mul- 
tiplied into  fatal  precedents,  and  taken  the  place  of  the 
lost  tradition." 

All  were  silent  till  at  last  Tom  asked  permission,  and 
resumed  his  reading.  "  But  you  will  want  to  hear  from 
the  De  Luynes.  They  are  better  and  less  wretched  there, 
and  I  visit  them  daily.  I  have  long  conversations  with 


231  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

Madame  De  Luynes,  which  seem  to  do  her  good,  and 
she  bears  her  bereavement  better  as  time  passes,  and 
speaks  beautifully  of  death  and  the  hereafter.  Miss 
Ethel  Lytton  is  her  sister  reproduced,  which  means 
everything  complimentary  of  a  woman.  Tell  Robert, 
little  Ethel  progresses  finely,  and  the  child's  mother 
wants  to  add  Holt  to  the  name  she  is  called  by.  She 
says  she  dreamed  Maurice  bade  her  do  so,  and  she 
knows  the  idea  would  have  pleased  him  as  it  has 
pleased  her.  In  that  case  he  would  have  to  address 
his  little  protegee,  as  '  Ethel  Carlotta  Holt  De  Luynes.' 
'  Carlotta  Holt '  would  sound  well,  but  the  whole  name 
does  not  euphonize." 

"  Strange !  the  child  must  have  been  christened," 
said  Tom. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  added  Robert,  "  but  another  name  might 
be  used  conventionally." 

"  He  has  thought  of  that  before,"  remarked  Tom  to 
his  father,  when  next  they  were  alone.  But  the  Pro- 
fessor saw  nothing  astray  in  Carlo tta's  suggestion,  nor 
in  Robert's  willingness  to  lend  his  name  to  the  child. 

"  Yes,"  observed  Tom,  with  a  faint  smile.  "  The 
child  is  dear  to  him,  and  its  mother  feels  the  warmest 
gratitude  toward  Robert  Holt,  while  she  suffers  the 
deepest  of  human  afflictions.  Bolton  wrote,  though  I 
did  not  read  it  aloud,  '  Miss  Lytton  will  shortly  visit 
the  Winthrops  in  Boston,  quietly?  whatever  that  means, 
and  as  if  one  could  be  quiet  in  that  hospitable  old 
mansion." 

"  I  suppose  Madame  De  Luynes  will  accompany  her," 
said  the  Professor.  "  I  understood  the  journey  was 
merely  for  her,  and  to  try  the  effects  of  change.  Of 
course  they  will  be  quiet  and  will  not  receive." 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."          235 

Father  and  son  read  for  some  time  in  silence.  At 
length  the  Professor  handed  him  a  letter  and  said, 
"  Tom,  your  dear  little  mother  seems  disquieted  about 

you." 

"  About  me !  "  Tom  answered,  astonished. 

"Well,  she  gathers  from  your  letters  that  you  have 
formed  an  attachment,  but  you  do  not  seem  to  have 
shown  her  any  purpose  in  your  suit.  She  thinks  this 
unfair  to  yourself  and  to  the  young  lady.  As  usual, 
she  is  right.  Head  the  letter,  and  we  will  speak  about 
it  again.  Your  mother  made  an  early  marriage,  and  she 
believes  in  it." 

"  I  have  had  no  secrets  from  you,  father.  When  I  learn 
more,  you  shall  know  it ;  if  I  am  not  to  be  married  early, 
the  fault  will  not  be  mine." 

"  You  know  I  must  leave  Amarica  now  in  a  few  days," 
observed  the  Professor.  "  I  supposa  you  will  remain." 

"  Yes,  if  my  leave  can  be  extended,"  replied  Tom. 

"  We  must  see  to  that,"  the  father  answered ;  and  they 
went  out  to  pay  calls. 

An  hour  later  Tom  returned  alone  ;  he  picked  up  the 
evening  paper,  and  his  eye  caught  in  flaring  headings 
over  a  British  cable,  "  The  Times  demands  reorganiza- 
tion and  a  dissolution.  Professor  Conant  to  be  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer  and  Leader  of  the  Commons." 
As  usual,  the  real  text  was  a  little  milder  than  the 
flaring  caption  ;  but  the  Times  did  urge  that  dissolution 
was  desirable,  and  stated  that  no  Liberal  Cabinet  would 
be  acceptable  which  did  not  include  the  Professor. 

"Things  seem  almost  settled,"  said  Tom,  after  his 
father  came  back. 

"It  is  only  a  newspaper  paragraph,"  observed  the 
Professor,  modestly. 


236  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  But  Bolton  says  it  is  sure  to  come,"  said  Tom  with 
confidence. 

"And  when  it  comes,  my  son,"  slowly  replied  the 
Professor,  "it  will  add  loads  of  care  and  burden  to 
your  father's  life.  But  if  all  this  fleeting  popularity 
would  sustain  me,  I  might  do  good ;  yet,  perhaps,  ere 
my  feet  were  in  the  stirrups  the  people  would  abandon 
me,  and  be  found  running  after  new  idols." 

Tom  had  just  now  received  a  letter  from  Agnes,  which 
he  hastened  away  to  read,  and  which  put  him  in  great 
spirits.  The  letter  was  promptly  answered,  but  we  will 
not  disclose  the  secrets  of  the  correspondence  further 
than  this,  that  it  announced  Carlotta's  expected  visit  in 
two  weeks  with  Miss  Lytton  and  little  Ethel.  The  visit 
was  a  secret,  known  only  to  Uncle  Horace  and  George. 
But  Agnes  felt  very  sure  that  Madame  De  Luynes  would 
forgive  them  if  Tom  and  Eobert  should  come,  and  she 
notified  them  to  govern  themselves  accordingly. 

That  night,  Lord  Bolton  arrived,  and  was  full  of  his 
projected  visit  to  the  "West,  but  disappointed  that  Tom 
could  not  go.  He  took  leave  of  his  friends,  and  was  to 
undertake  the  journey  next  morning. 

Tom  parted  from  him  with  regret.  His  Lordship 
promised  to  write  often,  and  to  return  in  a  few  weeks. 

The  Professor,  on  the  invitation  of  the  British  Minis- 
ter, was  to  pay  a  flying  visit  to  Washington,  and  Mr. 
"Winthrop  was  to  meet  him  there  :  the  party  was  to  be 
absent  for  a  week.  There  was  an  extra  session  of  Con- 
gress, so  that  the  Professor  met  some  of  the  great  men, 
and  saw 'all  the  politicians  in  Washington.  Of  course 
current  political  topics  engrossed  attention. 

Professor  Conant  listened  to  the  debates  and  was 
instructed  in  the  theories  of  those  who  see  prosperity 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."          237 

for  the  poor  man  in  high  prices.  He  was  astonished  to 
learn  that  England  was  scattering  gold  throughout 
America,  to  bribe  the  way  for  the  starvation  of  the  toil- 
ing masses  here.  He  did  not  believe  the  theory,  but  he 
was  prejudiced,  perhaps,  and  his  ear  inclined  to  those 
who  pleaded  for  such  fiscal  provisions  as  would  enable 
them  to  buy  in  the  cheapest  and  sell  in  the  dearest 
market.  "  I  am  a  free-trader,  but  theories  may  be 
plausible,  and  even  practicable  here,  which  in  our  dif- 
ferent circumstances  we  could  not  tolerate  in  England. 
Your  vast  resources  leave  you  room  for  waste,  which 
we  could  not  afford  in  my  country,"  said  Dr.  Conant. 
"When  his  attention  was  called  to  the  enormous  national 
surplus,  he  simply  observed,  "  I  suppose  all  the  money 
is  derived  from  the  taxation  of  your  people.  It  might 
have  been  a  half  more,  or  a  half  less,  as  the  taxation 
was  increased  or  diminished.  But  your  vast  resources, 
and  varieties  of  climate  and  production,  especially  in 
your  prosperous  days,  will  accumulate  wealth,  in  spite 
of  burdens.  I  suppose  you  must  have  revenues  here  for 
the  general  expenses  of  administration.  Your  people 
would  not  bear  direct  taxation,  though  that  would  be 
cheaper  and  more  logical,  so  that  in  this  country  it  is 
not  a  question  of  whether  you  will  impose  duties,  but 
at  what  point  you  will  draw  the  line." 

The  Professor  attended  a  reception  at  the  White 
House  that  night,  and  when  he  saw  how  the  crowd 
persecuted  the  poor  President  with  their  loyal  atten- 
tions, he  laughingly  said,  "  It  might  be  worth  a  battle 
or  two  to  fight  democracy  back  a  little,  and  put  the 
President  on  an  elevation,  as  to  the  familiar  greet- 
ings he  encountered,  so  that  everybody  could  not  un- 
ceremoniously reach  him." 


238  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

He  was  delighted,  in  conversation  with  high  digni- 
taries, at  the  freedom  they  indulged  in  the  discussion 
of  affairs,  and  he  specially  noted  some  remarks  about  a 
case  which  involved  bribery. 

"  Other  crimes,"  said  one  of  the  Judges,  "  according 
to  the  popular  idea,  may  involve  greater  depravity,  but 
nothing  can  be  more  dangerous  to  the  public  welfare. 
We  have  lately  emerged  from  a  great  war,  and  as  it  has 
been  among  other  people  in  similar  circumstances,  the 
plain  truth  is  that  corruption  abounds.  It  carries  a 
dagger  aimed  at  the  national  heart,  and  is  full  of  dan- 
ger to  our  liberties  and  a  menace  to  the  existence  of 
the  government ;  the  people  should  combine  to  crush 
it  as  one  man.  You  cannot  reach  it  in  the  ordinary 
way ;  it  is  so  often  exercised  in  the  interest  of  one  or 
other  political  party." 

"  Bribery  is  common  among  us  in  England,"  the 
Professor  said  to  himself,  "  but  its  putrid  breath  is  not 
perhaps  so  often  detected  in  high  places." 

And  so,  from  group  after  group,  as  they  passed  and 
repassed  each  other,  he  learned  something  new  on  sub- 
jects which  he  might  have  read  or  thought  of  before, 
but  which  he  had  never  heard  discussed  by  human  lips 
on  the  threshold  of  Democratic  authority.  Men  were 
not  less  honest  here,  he  thought,  even  if  corruption 
were  more  extended,  because  in  this  country  every  man 
has  a  voice,  though  some  men  might  be  open  to  influ- 
ences that  would  silence  it ;  but  in  older  countries, 
the  voice  of  the  same  class  is-  silent,  and  having  no 
influences  to  sell,  these  people  are  not  liable  to  be 
tempted.  It  was  the  old  story  over  again,  of  Democracy 
and  the  tempter  abroad. 

The  young  men  had  met  kindred  spirits  among  the 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."          233 

Civil  Service,  at  tlie  Embassy,  and  among  young  officers 
of  the  Army.  Tom  s  position,  as  the  son  of  his  father, 
would  have  given  him  the  entree  anywhere  ;  but  he  was 
not  less  run  after  because  he  was  an  officer  of  the 
Guards ;  and  Robert  and  Fred  were  not  less  esteemed 
chiefly  on  their  own  merits,  let  us  hope,  and  because 
they  were  pleasant  and  entertaining  gentlemen ;  but  it 
may  have  entered  the  heads  of  their  entertainers  that 
the  one  was  the  son  of  a  rich  Baronet,  and  the  other 
well  connected — himself  a  young  man  of  fortune.  How- 
ever it  was,  they  were  petted  and  pampered  by  the 
simple  Republican  society  of  the  capital  They  re- 
ceived callers,  and  they  returned  calls.  Hops  were 
fashionable,  and  they  attended  them,  and  to  their  seduc- 
tive influence,  they  all,  more  or  less,  succumbed,  and 
Boston  ran  the  risk  of  being  forgotten  as  Fred's  respon- 
sive heart  glowed  with  admiration  of  the  women  he  met 
in  Washington. 

The  Professor,  with  his  friends,  drove  about  the 
beautiful  city  next  day,  but  everything  they  saw  has 
been  so  often  described  by  cunning  pens  that  we  abstain 
from  following  them.  There  was  a  dinner  at  the  Brit- 
ish Embassy,  and  Attorney-General  Burrows,  who  had 
parted  from  him  under  duress,  was  a  fellow-guest,  as  he 
had  been  lately  a  fellow-passenger.  He  was  full  of  the 
disasters  of  the  Alaric,  which  had  grown  an  old  story 
with  the  Professor,  and  he  listened  to  it  as  to  a  twice- 
told  tale  ;  when  Mr.  Burrows  recalled  his  acquaintance 
witli  De  Luynes,  whose  accomplishments  and  brilliant 
talk  he  admired,  the  Professor's  sympathies  were  ex- 
cited, and  his  eyes  were  moistened  with  tears. 

"  He  was  a  fine  fellow,"  said  Mr.  Burrows,  "  gentle, 
with  a  heart  full  of  kindness,  and  mental  faculties  of  a 


240  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

rare  order."  He  explained  that  his  own  family  and 
friends  had  arrived  safely,  and  listened  with  interest  to 
what  the  Professor  told  him  of  the  experiences  of  him- 
self and  party.  "  Poor  Miss  Boberts,"  he  added,  "  she 
was  a  lovely  character ;  I  knew  her  well.  For  the  last 
two  years  she  had  adorned  society  here." 

The  Professor  sat  at  the  right  of  the  British  Minister, 
and  for  some  time  they  spoke  of  home  gossip  and 
political  affairs.  At  length  his  Lordship  said,  "The 
Americans  are  striving  to  correct  a  great  abuse,  and  I 
hope  not  with  indifferent  success.  They  are  reforming 
their  Civil  Service.  As  things  have  been,  this  service 
was  a  creature  of  the  party  patronage,  and  its  reforma- 
tion was  difficult  to  approach.  The  rule  here  has  been 
*  to  the  victors  belong  the  spoils,'  and  many  civil  ser- 
vants knew  that  their  appointments  were  not  for  fitness, 
and  that  their  successors  would  have  their  places  when 
their  enemies  came  into  power.  Their  party  levied  on 
them  for  a  percentage  of  their  emoluments  wherever 
expenditures  were  required.  They  knew  that  in  that 
way  the  party  disbursements  were  really  paid  out  of 
the  general  public  fund,  so  they  might  naturally  say, 
why  should  not  these  funds  contribute  to  our  conven- 
ience as  well  as  theirs  ?  If  they  became  dishonest  pub- 
lic servants,  here  was  the  entering  wedge  ;  and  they 
knew,  moreover,  no  matter  how  distinguished  their  ser- 
vices, that  they  were  likely  to  be  bundled  out  with  their 
party  when  its  time  came.  There  was  little  encourage- 
ment for  honest  service,  and  it  was,  to  a  great  extent, 
both  dishonest  and  inefficient.  We  understand  the 
question  at  home,  and  we  know  how  important  it  is 
that  the  Civil  Service  should  be  removed  from  party 
patronage.  They  are  trying  the  experiment  here  now, 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KINO  IN  AMERICA."          241 

because  there  is  a  clamor  for  a  change  ;  but  it  may  be 
doubted  if  either  party  is  honestly  ready  to  promote  it. 
Political  patronage,"  added  the  Professor,  "  is  a  great 
source  of  corruption  if  dishonestly  dispensed ;  there  are 
many  things  to  be  said  against  us,  but  in  this  particular 
we  are  moving  in  the  right  direction." 

"  Our  politics  has  this  great  advantage,"  observed 
the  Minister.  "  There  are  multitudes  in  this  country  to 
whom  politics  is  a  trade.  With  civil  service  reform, 
the  occupation  of  these  men  would  be  gone ;  so,  you 
see,  it  will  not  be  really  accomplished  without  a  battle." 

"It  seems  to  ma  very  plain,"  remarked  the  Professor, 
"  that  the  civil  servant  is  an  officer  of  the  State,  and 
should  be  the  henchman  of  neither  one  party  nor  the 
other.  His  services  should  be  rendered  as  is  his  fealty, 
which  is  due  to  the  whole  country.  He  should  have 
no  favorites,  he  should  hold  office  only  during  good 
behavior,  and  should  neither  look  for,  nor  accept  a 
favor.  The  public  service  could  not  otherwise  be  well 
conducted.  On  what  other  principle  could  the  affairs 
of  a  bank  or  a  private  corporation  be  administered? 
How  could  a  merchant  conduct  his  business  with 
ignorant  clerks,  who  are  never  to  be  depended  upon 
and  who  are  always  changing?  " 

"  These  are  questions  which  in  this  country  the  peo- 
ple have  to  answer,"  said  Lord  Gough,  "  and  the 
nation  can  never  have  an  honest  service  nor  an  efficient 
administration  till  they  have  settled  them." 

"  It  will  all  come  in  good  time,"  said  the  Professor. 
"  Fifty  years  ago  we  could  not  have  dreamed  of  the 
purity  of  administration  which  we  have  since  achieved 
in  England." 

"  Do  you  think  it  fair,"  inquired  Mr.  Burrows,  "  that 
11 


242  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

there  should  be  no  rotation  in  office  ?  Is  one  man  to 
be  forever  preferred,  and  his  neighbor  forever  debarred, 
from  enjoying  it?"  "Assuredly,"  replied  the  Pro- 
fessor, "  unless  the  public  good  requires  a  change. 
Office  is  not  one  of  the  privileges  which  the  State  under- 
takes to  confer  upon  the  citizen.  If  it  were  so,  every 
man  would  have  a  claim,  and  there  is  no  safety  except 
in  the  country's  demanding  the  best  service  and  the 
highest  qualifications  from  her  men  in  office."  "  That 
is  a  plausible  doctrine,"  remarked  Mr.  Winthrop,  "  but 
under  its  teaching  parties  would  be  shorn  of  half  their 
strength." 

"Then  the  sooner  the  better,"  responded  the  Pro- 
fessor. "  Petty  patronage  is  the  curse  of  parties,  and 
their  selfish  exercise  of  it  is  a  menace  to  the  free  in- 
stitutions of  any  country." 

"  What  a  pity  it  is  that  the  subject  could  not  be  as 
summarily  disposed  of  before  the  country  as  we  can 
treat  it  here,"  observed  the  Attorney  General. 

The  conversation  here  grew  more  diffused;  they 
spoke  of  Mexico  and  the  labor  strikes,  of  research  and 
the  exploration  of  the  Polar  seas  ;  of  Germany  and  her 
massive  concentrations ;  of  Republican  France,  her 
strength  and  her  peril ;  and  of  Ireland,  her  progress 
and  her  reaction,  her  desperation  and  her  hope. 

"  Why  do  you  not  give  her  Home  Rule  ? "  said  a 
voice.  "  My  countrymen  would  grant  that  if  she  would 
be  satisfied,"  replied  the  Professor.  "The  disposition 
to  do  Ireland  that  measure  of  justice  is  growing,  but 
the  effect  of  extreme  and  violent  courses  is  to  retard  it." 

There  were  to  be  no  toasts,  and  the  host,  who  evi- 
dently dreaded  an  explosion,  rose  from  the  table  and 
his  guests  followed  him.  They  found  Lady  Gough 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."         243 

with  several  distinguished  ladies  in  the  drawing-room. 
Meantime,  His  Excellency  the  President  had  dropped 
in  unceremoniously,  and  the  kindly  interchange  of 
thought  and  of  courtesies  continued  until  a  late  hour. 

"  I  ought  to  apologize  to  your  Ladyship,"  said  the 
Professor  in  taking  his  leave,  "and  to  the  ladies  every- 
where during  my  visit ;  for  I  suppose  it  is  altogether 
my  fault  that  the  conversation  wanders  among  dry 
political  subjects." 

"Nothing  could  be  more  interesting  in  this  country," 
said  an  American  lady.  "You  won  our  hearts  by 
appreciating  our  public  affairs  at  a  critical  period,  and 
it  is  fitting,  now  you  are  among  us,  that  we  should 
enjoy  your  counsel  and  criticism.  We  can  always  dis- 
cuss society,  the  balls  and  the  opera,  the  latest  novels 
and  plays,  or  the  more  recent  flirtations  and  engage- 
ments ;  but  Prof.  Conant  is  not  always  with  us,  to  shed 
light  upon  graver  questions,  and  besides,  they  are  fuller 
of  interest  to  us  all  than  you  imagine." 

"  Well,  yes.  If  I  were  to  write  a  book  of  my  travels, 
and  describe  all  the  startling  incidents  of  my  tour  and 
the  accidents  we  have  encountered,  I  think  perhaps 
some  serious  talks  on  popular  subjects  might  be  tolera- 
ted as  padding  -,  and  besides  its  being  instructive,  my 
story  would  be  relieved  by  it." 

"  Yes,  you  ought  to  write  such  a  work,"  urged  Lady 
Gough.  "  I  know  you  would  speak  racily  of  many 
things  and  prosily  of  none  ;  not  dwelling  too  long  on 
descriptions,  and  thus  magnifying  ths  author  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  reader." 

"When  I  send  you  an  advance  copy  of  my  book, 
you  will  see  that  your  hints  have  been  remembered," 
laughingly  remarked  the  Professor. 


244  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

Fred  Cuthbert  had  been,  as  usual,  one  of  the  even- 
ing's entertainments.  "  He  is  so  full  of  good  nature, 
and  so  determined  to  please,"  said  one  of  the  ladies. 
"  And  everything  he  says  is  so  sparkling  and  piquant" 
added  another. 

"  Do  you  think  him  a  wit  ?  "  asked  a  young  officer, 
who  was  half  inclined  to  be  piqued  at  the  attention  Fred 
received  from  the  ladies,  or,  as  he  put  it  more  tersely, 
at  "the  infernal  noise  he  made." 

"  Oh,  dear !  I  am  not  a  judge  of  wit,"  replied  the  lady 
addressed,  half  startled  at  his  tone ;  "  but  what  he  does 
and  says  is  funny  if  it  is  not  witty.  His  manner  is  so 
droll,  when  he  chooses,  and  all  his  hits  are  good- 
natured  and  make  us  laugh.  Don't  you  like  him,  Capt. 
Strong?" 

"  Oh,  immensely !  "  was  the  latter's  reply. 

Fred  had  said  some  frivolous  thing  at  the  club  that 
afternoon  which  had  been  misunderstood,  and  he 
frankly  apologized.  He  forgot  the  incident  soon  after, 
but  Capt.  Strong  remembered  it.  "  These  English- 
men," he  had  remarked,  "  are  churlish  and  unbearable." 
There  was  nothing  more  of  it  then,  but  a  year  afterward 
Fred  would  heap  coals  of  fire  on  his  head  in  London, 
and  he  would  tell  Miss  Alice  in  a  mood  of  confidence 
how  much  he  admired  her  brother  here,  and  how  little 
he  had  understood  him  in  America.  We  shall  violate 
no  confidence  by  informing  the  reader  that  the  hand- 
some young  officer  would  not  have  said  so  much,  but 
that  he  and  Miss  Alice,  with  Fred's  consent,  had  been 
cultivating  great  interest  in  each  other. 

Robert  and  Tom  had  not  been  idle  observers  of  the 
evening  s  picture.  They  were  accustomed  to  society, 
to  luxurious  rooms  and  magnificent  decorations,  and 


.  "  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."          245 

they  were  no  strangers  to  the  social  elegance  in  which 
they  mingled ;  but  it  did  happen  that  they  saw  here  a 
man  and  there  a  woman  blazing  in  diamonds  and  in 
dress  at  once  ill-fitting  and  extravagant,  while  they  ex- 
pressed eccentric  views  in  a  version  of  the  English  lan- 
guage which  Lindley  Murray  would  never  have  recog- 
nized. 

"  Wall,  I  done  it  once  for  them  fellers,"  said  an  old 
Bonanza  Politician  in  their  hearing,  "  and  I  ain't  agoin' 
to  do  it  agin." 

"And  'tain't  no  kind  o'  use,"  said  his  pretty  young 
wife,  whose  diamonds  fairly  dazzled  Tom.  "  They 
don't  know  nothin'  about  society,  and  English  folks  is 
kind  o'  pa'tic'lar,  and  wouldn't  want  'em  ;  if  'twant  that 
you're  a  Politician,  you  might  a  run  after  him  for  a  week 
and  Lord  Gough  wouldn't  'ave  asked  'em." 

"  And  they  ain't  no  ornament  when  they  git  here," 
said  the  husband  haughtily. 

"  They're  good  but  they  ain't  cultsred,"  added  the 
wife,  "  and  I  don't  see  why  we  should  carry  'em  into 
good  society  if  they  did  vote  for  us.  I  guess  they  got 
paid  out  o'  that  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  it  cost." 

"  They'll  be  darned  mad,"  said  the  Magnate  appre- 
hensively. 

"  Well,  let  'em,"  rejoined  the  woman,  "  you  can  buy 
'em  agin." 

Tom  laughed  and  turned  away.  Democratic  as  he 
was,  it  was  too  much  even  for  Robert.  .  "  Who  are 
they  ?  "  he  asked  a  young  attache  at  his  side. 

"  They  are  a  product  of  American  Democracy," 
replied  the  latter.  "  A  rich  mine,  vulgar  ambition,  and 
corruptible  electors  did  it  all.  I  know  the  old  man 
well ;  he  is  pursuing  a  claim  upon  an  estate  in  England, 


PROFESSOR  CONANT.  t 

and  sometimes  comes  to  talk  to  me  about  it.  It  cost 
him  a  great  deal  to  get  here,  but  he  has  no  idea  of  his 
unfitness  or  his  vulgarity.  He  says  public  life  is  a 
great  burden  and  expense,  but  he  intends  to  reimburse 
himself.  He  tells  us  that  the  lobbyists  won't  get  much 
out  of  him  if  they  don't  *  chalk  up,'  and  if  they  aro 
stingy,  he'll  '  jine  the  anti-monopolists.'  He  is  an  acci- 
dent ;  there  are  not  many  such  men." 

"  One  is  enough,"  quietly  observed  Eobert. 

"  His  position  gives  him  the  entree  ;  we  have  to  invite 
such  people  now  and  then,"  said  the  attache.  "  His 
pretty  wife  has  friends  among  the  newspapers,  and 
the  British  Lion  would  fare  hard  if  she  were  slighted 
by  the  British  Minister.  There  are  only  two  or  three 
such  people  here  to-night.  They  are  too  feeble  to  per- 
vert the  ways  of  fashion.  Everybody  expects  to  meet 
them  and  they  disturb  nobody." 

"  Oh,  it's  nothing  strange,"  said  Tom,  "  though  the 
language  in  such  a  place  as  this  did  startle  one  a  little, 
as  the  whole  coarse  broadside  came  down  upon  us. 
Such  a  scene  would  be  impossible  in  such  surroundings 
in  England." 

"  Yes,"  observed  Eobert,  "  because  the  same  class  of 
people  would  not  be  represented  at  all  there,  and  it  is 
only  politics  anywhere  which  would  throw  a  man  of 
this  kind  among  such  people,  but  probably  twenty 
years  from  now,  or  less,  you  may  meet  his  sons  as 
.  educated  gentlemen.  Everybody  votes  in  the  United 
States ;  but  in  the  United  Kingdom  a  population  of 
thirty-five  millions  furnishes  a  constituency  of  only  four 
millions,  because  the  poorest  classes  are  not  included. 
That  saves  us  some  exhibitions  of  coarseness,  though 
poor  people  are  not  always  vulgar  ;  but  what  about  the 


"  THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."  247 

material  prosperity  ?  Do  you  think  the  ignorant,  un- 
enfranchised poor  in  England  contribute  as  much  to 
the  national  wealth  as  the  people  this  old  man  repre- 
sents do  in  America?  And  don't  you  think  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  poor,  in  the  same  way  in  England,  would 
create  an  element  of  national  strength  there  as  it  does 
here  ?  The  people,  long  degraded,  may  sometimes 
stagger  under  new  responsibilities,  their  backs  unac- 
customed and  their  muscles  untrained.  But  depend 
upon  it,  on  our  part,  we  might  train  them  for  citizenship, 
and  they,  on  theirs,  might  contribute  vastly  more  to  the 
wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  state." 

"  Oh,  Holt,"  said  a  voice,  "  you  are  always  finding 
excuses  for  the  Yankees  and  damning  England  with 
faint  praise  ;  you  are  like  John  Bright,  a  friend  of 
every  country  but  his  own." 

"  I  have  often  thought  myself,"  said  Tom,  "  that 
Robert  resembled  Mr.  Bright;  but  I  don't  think  this 
uncomplimentary  to  him." 

The  next  morning  the  Professor  received  among  his 
callers  several  leading  workingmen,  who  expressed 
pride  in  his  career ;  and  a  deputation  of  colored  citizens 
signified  their  appreciation  of  his  good  work  and  their 
hope  that  he  might  long  be  spared  to  pursue  it. 

To  each  of  these  deputations  the  Professor  gave  the 
same  advice :  "  Elevate  your  people ;  educate  your 
children  ;  in  no  other  way  can  you  join  the  aristocracy 
of  intelligence,  or  enter  the  charmed  circle  of  refine- 
ment. You  must  study  public  questions.  Ignorance 
will  be  a  barrier  for  all  time,  and  in  all  countries.  I  do 
not  urge  you  to  pursue  the  difficult  paths  of  profound 
scientific  and  classical  learning  ;  you  have  not  perhaps 
the  time,  the  opportunity,  nor  the  inclination.  But  you 


248  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

may  have  access  to  books,  and  all  you  need  will  be 
found  in  these,  if  well  selected.  You  may  be  poor,  but 
so  were  most  of  the  lights  of  your  country.  What  they 
accomplished  you  may  imitate  with  more  or  less  suc- 
cess ;  and  if  you  never  cast  a  vote  until  you  have  studied 
its  consequences,  nor  support  a  measure  till  you  under- 
stand it,  and  believe  it  will  work  for  your  country's 
good,  you  will  follow  the  best  examples  and  reach  the 
highest  rewards."  He  told  the  laboring  men  that 
America  was  their  paradise,  and  reminded  their  colored 
brethren  of  the  oceans  of  blood  and  treasure  the  nation 
had  expended  for  them.  No  record  more  glorious  had 
been  written  for  any  country,  and  no  people  more  than 
they  owed  gratitude  and  fealty  to  their  government. 

"  These  noble  sentiments  will  be  recorded  everywhere, 
sir,"  said  an  enthusiastic  son  of  toil,  "  and  will  endear 
your  name  to  the  people.  In  the  past  few  weeks  you 
have  done  more  than  any  Englishman,  since  Chatham,  to 
win  for  the  masses  you  represent  the  sympathies  of  the 
workingmen  of  this  country." 

"  Would  that  the  public  men  of  both  countries  did 
more  such  \vork  as  this,"  said  Mr.  Roberts. 

"  It  would  be  more  than  difficult  to  do  it  in  the  same 
way,"  observed  Mr.  Burrows.  "  The  people  of  this 
country  are  now  ripe  for  such  lessons ;  and  Conant  is 
the  man  from  whom  they  want  to  learn  them." 

"  With  such  men  to  lead  both  countries,"  remarked 
Mr.  Winthrop,  "we  should  become  practically  one 
people." 

"  Do  you  think  England  is  likely  to  go  back  to  pro- 
tection ? "  asked  a  rich  manufacturer,  who  had  been 
waiting  his  chance. 

"  I  do  not,"  said  the  Professor. 


"THE  PEOPLE'S  KING  IN  AMERICA."          249 

"  We  hear  a  good  deal  about  fair  trade." 

"  Yes,  that  has  been  spoken  of,"  was  the  reply. 

"  I  suppose  by  fair  trade  they  mean  protection,"  said 
the  other. 

"  No  doubt,"  said  the  Professor,  "  but  they  dare  not 
say  so.  I  think  that  English  people  are  free  traders  ; 
we  all  know  what  they  were  in  the  last  generation, 
under  the  teachings  of  Cobden  and  Bright.  But  they 
were  instructed  on  a  large  scale  then,  and  could  all 
give  reasons  for  the  hope  that  was  in  them.  The  sub- 
ject has  not  been  much  treated  of  late  years  in  a  popu- 
lar way.  Nearly  all  the  writers  on  Political,  Economy 
have  been  free  traders,  but  their  books  did  not  reach 
the  people  as  did  the  literature  of  the  great  agitators 
in  Cobden's  time.  The  masses  of  the  present  genera- 
tion of  Englishmen  have  not  much  studied  the  question. 
There  may  come  a  wave  of  popular  discontent,  and 
there  may  be  extraordinary  changes.  "We  have  be- 
come so  democratic  now,  and  it  is  so  .hard  to  tell  what 
popular  opinion  is  on  abstract  questions,  till  you  have 
counted  the  votes,  that  it  is  dangerous  to  prophesy. 
Notwithstanding  all,  you  may  class  England  as  a  free- 
trade  country.  We  should  be  glad  to  say  as  much  of 
yours  ;  but  we  can  afford  to  wait.  The  late  Mr.  Web- 
ster was  a  free-trader  in  early  life.  Some  of  his  finest 
speeches  defend  that  theory.  When  reproached  for  in- 
consistency in  after-life,  he  said  in  effect,  '  Yes,  T  advo- 
cated free  trade,  and  my  State  prospered  under  it.  But 
you  forced  us  into  a  protective  system,  and  now  I  strive 
under  that  system  to  make  the  best  terms  possible  for 
her.'  I  think  he  still  believed  in  the  old  doctrine  ;  but 
I  am  not  here  to  provoke  controversy,  and  we  may  each 
prosper  walking  our  separate  ways." 
11* 


CHAPTEE  XXI. 

HOMEWAED   BOUND. 

THEY  were  all  to  take  a  quiet  tea  next  evening  with 
Mrs.  Eoberts,  whom  they  found  greatly  improved, 
though  a  touching  sadness  pervaded  the  house,  and  on 
the  morrow  they  left  Washington  for  New  York  by  an 
early  train,  through  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia,  cities 
which  the  Professor  regretted  to  pass  without  a  visit. 
He  was  anxious  also  to  visit  Chicago  and  the  great 
"West,  but  pressing  cablegrams  and  letters  admonished 
Mm  that  he  could  not  claim  his  own  time  further.  So 
he  arranged  to  sail  by  the  Wednesday  steamer. 

Professor  Conant's  occupations  were  henceforth  en- 
grossing, and  he  was  obliged  in  consequence  to  decline 
all  invitations.  The  night  before  he  left,  however,  he 
gave  at  his  hotel  a  dinner,  followed  by  a  reception,  which 
was  made  a  notable  event  in  New  York  society. 

Mr.  Winthrop,  and  Dr.  Elmwood  and  his  niece  were 
among  the  guests.  George  declined  an  invitation, 
though  he  wrote  a  kind,  sad  letter  of  farewell.  The 
uncle  and  niece  were  to  leave  for  Boston  by  the  early 
morning  train,  and  as  the  Professor  said,  his  instruc- 
tive visit  to  America  would  soon  be  over. 

At  the  dinner  the  Professor  was  profuse  in  his  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude  for  the  welcome  he  had  received, 
and  his  guests  were  warm  and  sympathetic  as  to  the 
pleasure  his  visit  had  given  them. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  251 

"  It  has  been  a  month  of  unusual  interest  to  us  all," 
Dr.  Elmwood  observed,  "  and  will  be  followed  by  happy 
and  far-reaching  results." 

Tom  and  Agnes  had  only  a  moment  together,  but 
she  reminded  him  of  Carlotta's  hurried  visit  next 
week,  and  he  promised  for  himself  and  Robert  that 
they  would  join  them.  Agnes  reminded  him  that 
Carlotta's  friends  were  only  seeking  change  for  her, 
and  that  nobody  must  know  she  was  there.  "With  the 
near  prospect  of  bidding  adieu  to  his  father,  and  with 
the  sad  scenes  which  the  name  of  Madame  De  Luynes 
suggested,  Tom  was  moody  and  ill  at  ease.  He  ex- 
plained all  this  to  Agnes,  who  admired  him  for  his  ten- 
derness of  heart,  and  told  him  so;  and  though  their 
parting  was  sad,  each  knew,  without  saying  so,  that  the 
other  was  nearer  and  dearer  than  ever  before.  So 
the  evening  passed,  and  the  great  party  separated, 
more  like  the  members  of  a  family  saying  farewell, 
than  like  fashionable  strangers  who  might  never  meet 
again. 

Next  morning  at  breakfast,  and  just  before  the  Pro- 
fessor was  leaving,  he  received  a  letter  from  Lord  Les- 
ter at  Ottawa,  expressing  regret  that  he  should  not  have 
the  pleasure  of  welcoming  Dr.  Conant  at  Government 
House.  "  You  ought  to  have  come,  if  for  nothing  but 
to  show  our  people  that  they  are  within  the  range  of  a 
British  statesman's  sympathies."  The  letter  continued, 
"  Your  visit  to  the  States,  your  sayings  and  doings,  and 
every  incident  of  your  stay  on  this  side  are  regarded  by 
us  with  the  greatest  interest.  We  all  feel  pride  in  your 
success  ;  but,  if  I  might  take  such  a  liberty  with  an  old 
friend,  I  would  say  that  some  of  your  compliments 
might  have  been  paid  to  your  own  colony.  I  fear  this 


252  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

pompous  gallop  on  the  Democratic  horse  may  raise 
hopes  among  the  common  people  at  home,  which,  as 
your  responsibilities  increase,  you  will  find  it  difficult 
to  gratify.  But  as  we  began  to  disagree  at  college,  and 
have  never  been  the  worse  friends  for  disagreeing,  I  sup- 
pose we  shall  go  on  to  the  end,  differing  as  to  the  best 
way  to  govern,  but  always  happy  in  our  esteem  for  each 
other.  What  else  can  I  say  but  to  wish  you  lion  voyage, 
my  dear  old  friend,  not  only  across  the  water,  but 
throughout  your  noble  and  laborious  life,  for  I  know 
that  you  are  going  home  to  heavy  work  as  well  as  to 
high  distinctions.  As  you  are  giving  me  the  slip,  how- 
ever, I  want  your  son  to  make  a  point  of  coming  to  see 
me.  I  dare  say  we  can  amuse  him,  and  I  shall  give 
him  carte  Uanclie  to  bring  his  friends." 

"  What  a  gorgeous  ass !  "  said  Fred.  "  He  has  been 
sitting  alone  up  there  in  the  cold,  till  he  is  positively 
jealous.  Tho  idea  of  his  subjects  being  hurt  because 
you  have  said  America  is  a  great  country !  Though  I 
do  think  it  was  a  pity  you  could  not  go  to  Ottawa." 

"Yes,"  said  the  Professor,  "I  have  missed  a  great 
deal,  but  I  came  here  to  take  a  rest." 

"Which  you  have  not  done,"  observed  Tom. 

"  Well,  I  should  not  have  improved  matters  by  taking 
on  double  labor,"  remonstrated  his  father.  "  You  must 
write  Lester,  Tom,  and  visit  him." 

They  drove  to  the  wharf  and  found  a  number  of 
friends  already  aboard  the  steamer  waiting  to  say 
good-bye  to  Dr.  Conant,  and,  as  the  boat  steamed 
slowly  away,  they  sent  after  her  hearty  and  repeated 
cheers. 

"  God  bless  him !  he  has  done  good  work  here,"  cried 
Mr.  Douglas. 


HOMEWARD  BOUND.  253 

"  And  he  goes  home  even  better  fitted  to  be  a  leader 
of  the  people,"  a  voice  replied. 

"  Trust  him,  oh,  my  countrymen  !  "  said  Robert,  "  for 
he  dedicates  a  noble  life  to  you  !  " 

Tom  returned  to  his  lodgings  weary  after  a  restless 
night,  and  the  still  more  restless  excitement  of  the  morn- 
ing. His  father  was  gone,  to  tempt  again  the  perils  he 
had  only  lately  escaped,  and  if  he  reached  home  safely, 
which  the  son  did  not  doubt,  for  he  believed  there  was 
still  a  great  work  for  him  to  do — to  re-enter  the  turmoil  of 
politics,  under  conditions  which  would  make  him  a  con- 
spicuous and  responsible  figure.  Tom  knew  how  much 
of  domestic  sacrifice  this  maant ;  at  another  time  his  re- 
grets would  have  been  chiefly  for  his  mother ;  but  to- 
day he  was  worried  and  lonely,  and  he  felt  that  his  father 
was  making  a  great  personal  sacrifice  to  the  state. 
"What  would  home  be  without  him?  "  he  asked  him- 
self, "  and  yet  all  his  faculties  will  be  absorbed  now  in 
what  they  call  higher  work.  Perhaps  his  love  for  us 
will  be  as  great,  and  his  devotion  as  tender,  but  it  will 
be  only  an  abstraction ;  the  living  man  will  be  occupied 
and  absorbed  in  public  affairs.  To  me  he  has  been 
everything,  my  father,  my  brother,  and  friend.  There 
was  always  a  kind  word  and  a  leisure  hour  at  my  ser- 
vice. I  shall  only  know  him  now  on  the  hustings,  in 
the  newspapers,  and  in  Parliament.  He  will  be  a  dis- 
tinguished statesman,  and  his  head  and  his  heart  will  be 
enlisted  in  the  work  of  his  country.  General  Elmwood 
spoke  Avith  pride  of  his  two  sons  who  fought  by  his 
side.  Why  should  not  I  fight  by  the  side  of  my  father? 
He  discourages  me  because  he  would  give  me  an  easier 
life.  Have  I  no  duties  ?  Would  it  be  ignoble  to  throw 
aside  my  profession  of  arms  and  enlist  under  his  ban- 


254  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

ner  ?  He  says  I  have  the  necessary  gifts,  but  advises 
me  to  shun  the  hardships  of  public  life.  Why  should  I 
shun  work  ?  I  am  but  a  creature  of  society ;  why  might 
I  not  do  good,  win  honors,  and  perhaps  carry  forward  the 
prestige  of  my  name  ?  I  am  not  altogether  ignorant  of 
men  or  of  public  affairs.  There  will  be  a  dissolution. 
Why  not  win  a  seat  in  the  Commons?  That  would 
afford  me  opportunity.  Why  not  make  a  career  ?  But  I 
should  require  to  imitate  my  father's  industry,  his  hon- 
esty, his  devotion  to  duty.  I  could  do  that,  and  I  might 
fall  far  behind  him  in  many  things,  and  yet  be  the  equal 
of  men  who  have  been  useful  and  famous."  After  a 
pause,  he  added,  "  No,  marriage  would  not  retard  my 
career;  it  would  aid  me.  She  is  clever  and  good, 
and  would  grace  any  position.  But  I  must  win  her 
first,  and  the  way  will  then  be  open  and  clear  before 
me." 

Tom  fell  asleep  in  his  easy  chair  and  dreamed  that 
he  was  at  sea  again.  Far  away,  in  a  waste  of  waters,  he 
saw  Agnes  buffeting  the  waves  and  calling  to  him  for 
help.  He  was  riveted  to  his  chair  by  an  unseen  force. 
He  suffered  agonies,  but  could  neither  move  nor  speak. 
By-and-bye,  a  great  white  cloud  gathered  and  rested 
above  the  fainting  and  exhausted  girl.  Then  the  forms 
of  De  Luynes  and  Miss  Roberts  emerged  therefrom  and 
turned  their  smiling  faces  toward  him.  Agnes  was 
rescued  and  brought  to  his  arms.  He  woke  to  find  that 
the  grate  was  cold,  and  that  a  chilly  blast  was  entering 
the  open  window. 


CHAPTEE  XXII. 

"THINE  AND  MINE." 

OUR  friends  had  all  been  invited  to  spend  a  few  days 
with  Mr.  Douglas  at  Newport.  Robert  and  Fred  would 
go,  but  Tom  was  too  dull,  he  said,  and  wanted  to  com- 
mune with  himself  a  little.  The  custom  was  growing 
to  prolong  the  summer  at  the  watering-places,  and  many 
families  still  remained.  The  young  men  were  favorites 
in  society,  and  saw  life  in  new  colors.  Robert,  as  usual, 
enjoyed  it  all  in  a  quiet  way,  but  Fred  was  as  rollicking 
and  boisterous  as  ever.  He  was  in  search  of  pleasure 
and  it  abounded ;  he  desired  to  please  and  he  succeeded ; 
his  droll  conceits  amused  his  friends  and  his  sunny  dis- 
position shone  for  all.  "  His  nature  seems  changed," 
Holt  wrote  Tom;  "we  called  him  petulant,  but  his 
good-nature  is  inexhaustible ;  a  cynic,  but  he  never 
snarls.  He  was  to  reform  abuses,  he  used  to  tell  us ; 
but  he  has  fallen  in  love  with  everything  he  came 
out  to  condemn." 

"  Poor  Fred,"  mused  Tom,  as  he  read  this,  "  Robert 
never  understood  him.  His  attempts  at  ill-nature  were 
always  affectations,  and  since  he  has  been  here  kind 
feelings  have  been  so  much  at  high  tide  that  he  has 
floated  away  from  the  old  shoals ;  and  as  for  liking 
what  he  sees  here,  all  Englishmen  will  condemn 
America  less  as  they  understand  her  better." 


256  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

No  doubt  our  friends  were  all  disposed  to  see  tilings 
couleur  de  rose;  faults  and  misfortunes  common  to  all 
countries  were  passing  every  day  under  their  eyes ; 
peculiar  abuses  and  prevailing  extravagances,  such  as 
could  only  exist  under  a  system  of  democratic  rule, 
were  not  unobserved.  Some,  or  all,  of  these  were  open 
to  improvement,  or  perhaps,  to  be  reformed  altogether  ; 
all  around  them  lay  abundant  work  for  the  statesman 
and  the  philanthropist.  They  criticised  as  they  went, 
but  their  criticism  was  more  in  sorrow  than  in  anger ; 
and  they  meant  it  to  be  just  and  fair.  If  they  saw  an 
abuse,  they  asked  could  it  not  be  remedied  ?  If  they  en- 
countered suffering,  they  looked  for  the  means  of  relief. 
Other  critics,  less  fair,  had  fastened  eagerly  upon  what- 
ever they  could  unequivocally  condemn.  Was  there 
vulgarity  ?  Was  there  crime  ?  Was  there  political 
maladministration?  Their  work  was  done  con  amore, 
and  they  saw  none  of  the  conditions  which  might  ex- 
plain or  extenuate  the  evils.  But  our  travellers,  like 
Dr.  Conant,  noticed  what  they  saw  amiss,  and  they 
studied  the  true  cause  and  sought  out  the  true  remedy. 
They  had  no  prejudice  against  the  government  by  the 
people,  and  they  hoped  and  believed  the  experiment 
would  not  fail. 

Tom  had  spent  nearly  a  week  alone  at  his  lodgings  ; 
his  despondency  was  wearing  away  among  the  good  old 
books  he  had  been  reading,  many  of  whose  ideas  were 
fresh  to  him,  and  dozens  of  Avhose  heroes  had  undergone 
greater  trials  than  had  befallen  him.  He  had  just  re- 
ceived a  hurried  letter  from  Agnes,  which  announced  the 
arrival  of  the  De  Luynes  the  day  before.  Of  the  party 
there  were,  she  said,  Madame  De  Luynes,  Ethel  Lytton, 
and  the  baby,  and  they  were  accompanied  by  Gustave 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  257 

Lamothe,  who  would  only  remain  a  day  longer,  and  had 
taken  lodgings  at  the  hotel  Carlotta  was  still  improv- 
ing. It  was  touching  to  see  her  habited  in  deep  mourn- 
ing. She  was  all  grace  and  loveliness,  but  so  frail,  that 
a  breath  might  blow  her  away.  Uncle  Horace  took  a 
deep  interest  in  her  sad  story,  and  she  seemed  to  turn 
to  him  as  if  for  rest  and  help.  George  had  greeted 
Ethel  like  an  old  friend,  and  seemed  to  be  his  old  self 
again.  She,  dear  girl,  was  stronger  and  more  cheerful, 
and  then  the  baby  came  in  for  a  paragraph  of  tender 
caresses.  Mr.  Gustave  Lamothe,  she  said,  was  last 
but  not  least,  for  she  liked  him.  Ethel  had  told  her 
he  was  a  man  of  great  worth,  and  had  been,  not  only  the 
cousin,  but  the  most  trusted  friend,  of  poor  Maurice  De 
Luynes.  He  seemed  worthy  of  all  that ;  and  Agnes  want- 
ed Tom  to  know  him,  because  he  should  know  all  good 
people.  "  After  all,"  she  continued,  "  he  is  not  half  so 
good  as  somebody  I  know,  who  shall  be  nameless,  and  why 
should  I  care  ?  Ah,  but  I  do !  there  must  be  a  reason, 
do  you  know  it  ?  And  I  have  never  explained  it  even  to 
you.  To-day  some  ladies  called  on  Madame  De  Luynes, 
but  they  were  told  she  did  not  receive.  I  hope  that 
will  finish  the  callers.  But  she  joins  us  all  in  wishing 
to  see  you  and  Mr.  Holt ;  she  spoke  of  him  much  to- 
day, as  she  fondled  little  Ethel.  '  Dear  Eobert  Holt,' 
she  said  passionately,  *  where  would  my  darling  have 
been  now  but  for  you  ?  '  And  now  I  must  close,  and 
you  will  come  at  once,  won't  you  ?  Uncle  says  you 
should  take  the  morning  train.  Dear  good  Uncle 
Horace  !  he  has  promised  to  spend  the  week  at  home, 
and  help  to  entertain  my  friends.  Is  he  not  kind  ?  " 

"  Is  he  disinterested,"  thought  Tom,  but  he  was  alone, 
and  said  nothing.    "  Horace  Winthrop  is  still  a  young 


258  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

man,"  he  went  on  musing,  "  full  of  poetry  and  of  a  fas- 
cinating presence.  His  high  position  and  his  great 
gifts  should  not  tell  against  him.  The  human  heart  is 
unfathomable.  Is  it  true  that  sometimes  great  bereave- 
ments dispose  us  to  new  friendships,  and  that,  as  time 
passes,  these  ripen  into  tenderness  ?  "  Robert,  he  was 
sure,  would  meet  him  in  Boston  next  day. 

Tom  rose  the  next  morning  full  of  new  purposes  in 
life.  He  thought  he  saw  the  way,  and  he  had  already 
written  his  father  ;  he  knew  the  Professor  would  not  per- 
sistently dissuade  him,  if  he  was  really  in  earnest.  He 
knew,  too,  if  he  decided  to  go  to  work,  it  was  because 
he  would  have  a  helpmeet  who  would  profit  by  his  ex- 
ertions. That  Agnes  loved  him,  he  never  doubted, 
though  she  had  never  told  him  so ;  she  knew  his  love, 
and  she  encouraged  it  with  her  innocent  and  girlish 
ways,  but  when  he  was  serious,  she  parried  his  ques- 
tions ;  yet  he  had  not  dreamed  he  could  live  without 
her  or  that  she  expected  him  to  do  so.  Perhaps  their 
lives  had  run  too  smoothly  and  their  intercourse  had 
been  too  unrestrained  for  the  exercise  of  exaggerated 
romantic  feeling.  He  expected  her  to  take  her  seat  at 
his  side  in  the  new  English  life  he  was  proposing,  and 
he  knew  she  would  comfort  him  with  her  love,  and  sus- 
tain him  with  her  sympathy  and  good  sense.  They 
were  both  young,  would  it  be  wise  to  delay  ?  Not  as 
Tom  accounted  wisdom.  Agnes  Winthrop  was  his  idol 
and  his  ideal.  Without  her  he  could  not  live,  and  with 
her  all  things  would  be  possible. 

Absorbed  with  such  thoughts  he  journeyed  to  Boston 
alone,  and  arrived  at  Mr.  Winthrop's  in  time  for  dinner, 
where  he  found  only  the  De  Luynes  and  Holt.  Agnes 
welcomed  him  in  high  spirits ;  all  their  friends  were  so 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  259 

much  improved,  she  said,  and  George  and  Ethel  had 
just  returned  from  a  drive.  Madame  De  Luynes's  wel- 
come was  sad  but  cordial,  and  as  she  went  into  dinner 
on  the  Senator's  arm,  Tom  thought  he  had  never  seen 
more  sweetness  and  grace.  "I  have  just  met  your 
friend,  Mr.  Cuthbert,  on  the  street,"  said  Agnes ;  "  he 
has  been  staying  with  my  uncle  in  Bloomfield  a  day  or 
two,  and  they  came  up  to  the  city  together.  I  ventured 
so  far  to  relax  a  certain  rule  as  to  ask  them  to  call  in 
the  morning,  and  Madame  De  Luynes  has  forgiven  me," 
she  added,  smiling. 

"  Yes,"  explained  Eobsrt,  "  he  tired  of  Newport,  and 
went  to  pay  a  promissd  visit  to  Bloomfield." 

"  Queer,"  said  Tom,  "  I  did  not  know  of  his  promise." 

"  I  dare  say  my  cousin  will  make  it  jolly  for  him," 
observed  Agnes,  "  and  he  is  sure  to  make  it  pleasant  for 
them  all." 

They  were  interrupted  by  the  laughter  of  little  Ethel 
who  made  her  way  to  Robert's  knee.  His  face  wore  a 
look  of  triumph,  and  everybody  had  compliments  for 
the  child.  The  conversation  was  at  first  quiet  and  re- 
strained, and  each  feared  the  suggestion  of  painful 
thoughts,  till  Gustave  inadvertently  replied  to  some 
observation  in  French,  and  then  the  others  all  followed 
his  example,  and  the  good  old  English  was  banished  for 
the  evening. 

The  Senator  understood  the  language,  he  said,  yet 
from  want  of  practice  he  was  not  an  expert  talker ;  but 
Gustave  declared  his  pronunciation  was  perfect,  and 
Madame  De  Luynes  observed  that  all  he  said  he  said 
well. 

"  Oh !  you  are  a  nation  of  flatterers,"  the  Senator 
said  laughingly;  but  the  diversion  relieved  the  re- 


260  PEOFESSOR  CONANT. 

straints,  and  the  conversation  was  once  more  lively  and 
general. 

Madame  De  Luynes  recalled  her  school  days  in  Bos- 
ton, and  inquired  for  her  early  friends,  and  Mr.  Win- 
throp  gave  charming  pictures  of  Boston  life  and  man- 
ners twenty  years  ago.  He  spoke  of  his  home  and 
his  work  in  Washington,  of  society  there,  its  elegance 
and  its  eccentricities.  There  was  magnetism  in  his 
manner,  and  grace  and  humor  in  his  descriptions. 
Robert  delivered  himself  of  his  impressions  of  New- 
port, which  were  pleasant,  and  he  spoke  of  the  great 
kindness  he  had  received  from  many  cultivated  people 
there.  What  struck  him  unfavorably,  he  said,  was  that 
some  of  the  people  of  great  wealth  seemed  engaged  in 
a  struggle  as  to  who  could  display  the  greatest  number 
of  ducats  in  the  most  ostentatious  and  extravagant 
style. 

Tom  and  Agnes  remarked  to  each  other  that  George 
and  Miss  Lytton  were  speaking  English,  but  as  they 
made  no  accusations  the  offence  was  not  noticed,  and 
the  fact  has  not  been  established  to  this  day.  Gustave 
was  a  good  talker  and  took  an  active  share  in  the  con- 
versation. 

"  Canada  affords  peculiar  facilities  for  acquiring  the 
French  language.  I  have  wondere  d  that  Americans  do 
not  more  generally  patronize  our  schools.  For  such 
a  purpose  they  are  as  good  and  more  convenient  than 
those  of  France  and  Germany."  Miss  Lytton  suggested 
that  many  Catholic  children  were  sent  to  Canada  from 
the  States. 

"  And  do  you  think  that  but  for  religious  difference 
more  Protestants  would  study  the  language  there  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  so.     But  the  chief  cause  is  to  be  found 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  261 

in  the  belief  which  prevails  more  or  less  in  this  country 
that  the  French  in  Canada  speak  and  write  a  patois" 

"  Ah  !  we  are  provincials,  of  course,  but  they  have 
these  in  France,  and  they  differ  in  their  pronunciation. 
The  Greek  has  dialects,  but  we  have  not  corrupted  la 
belle  langue.  Do  you  remember  that  our  young  Poet 
Laureate  received  an  ovation  from  his  countrymen  in 
New  England  the  other  day  ?  Well,  during  his  brilliant 
speech,  he  apostrophized  the  native-born  American,  and 
alluded  especially  to  this  subject.  He  had  just  at- 
tained high  literary  distinction,  and  had  lately  published 
two  additional  collections  of  poems  for  which  he  had  been 
crowned  by  the  French  Academy — an  honor,  I  believe, 
not  hitherto  conferred  upon  any  other  American.  He 
said  :  '  There  is  a  class  of  people  who  would  teach  you 
that  French  can  only  be  spoken  in  Paris,  or  by  those 
who  have  been  educated  there.  I  would  not  sound  my 
own  praises,  but  I  must  meet  slander  with  truth.  I 
never  studied  in  France ;  I  was  educated  at  the  Quebec 
Seminary,  and  I  speak  and  write  French  as  it  was  taught 
me  there.  I  offer  you  the  opinion  of  the  French  Acad- 
emy which  recognized  merit  in  my  works,  and  honored 
me,  an  humble  Canadian  poet  and  student,  against  the 
teachings  of  those  who  would  disparage  the  literature 
and  the  scholarship  of  my  native  land.'  Depend  upon 
it,"  Gustave  continued,  "that  Harvard  is  not  more 
adept  in  the  graces  of  the  English  than  is  the  Univer- 
sity of  Laval  in  the  belles  lettres  of  her  mother  tongue. 
All  the  conditions  are  so  different  that  it  is  only  in  this 
respect  I  should  dare  institute  a  comparison." 

He  gave  his  ideas  upon  the  opera,  the  drama  and 
other  subjects  of  more  or  less  practical  interest.  To 
him  oratory  was  the  highest  gift,  and  music  the  most 


262  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

divine  art ;  but  sometimes,  lie  said,  the  great  masters 
failed  to  impress  him,  while  humbler  performers  often 
enthralled  him.  He  thought  humor  an  outcome  of 
genius,  and  wit  a  scintillation  from  a  higher  life.  He 
related  how,  years  before,  he  had  loitered  alone  in  the 
streets  of  Boston,  and  had  wandered  aimlessly  into  the 
Boston  Museum.  Poor  John  Brougham  was  producing 
an  Irish  character,  which  was  new  to  him.  He  had  no 
doubt  the  piece  was  now  forgotten.  He  could  not  re- 
call either  the  incidents  or  its  name ;  but  partly,  per- 
haps because  it  was  good,  and  it  maybe  chiefly  because 
his  mood  was  propitious,  he  had  all  the  time  been  con- 
vulsed with  laughter,  and  had  never  enjoyed  a  play 
more. 

When  the  ladies  were  about  to  withdraw,  the  Senator 
asked  permission  to  waive  ceremony  and  accompany 
them,  and  they  passed  the  evening  cosily  in  the  little 
parlor  like  a  quiet  family,  at  peace  with  themselves  and 
the  world. 

Next  morning  Gen.  Elmwood,  with  his  daughter  and 
Fred,  came,  and  Agnes  noticing  their  hilarity  bade  the 
young  people  remember  in  whose  presence  they  were. 
They  promised  obedience,  but  Fred  seemed  to  treat  the 
restraint  as  an  excuse  for  closer  communion,  and  they 
consequently  did  not  lose  sight  of  each  other.  The 
General  was  full  of  the  glories  of  the  exhibition,  which 
Avas  being  held  in  the  city,  and  to  which  he  was  again 
hastening,  and  the  house  continued  as  quiet  as  it  had 
been  the  day  before.  Tom  had  spoken  seriously  to 
Agnes;  she  was  not  indifferent  to  his  overtures,  but 
they  were  young  and  they  could  wait,  she  said. 

"  Do  you  love  me,  Agnes  ?  " 

"  Yes,  with  all  my  heart  and  soul,"  was  the  reply. 


"THINE  AND  MINE."  263 

What  could  he  do  ?  What  did  he  do  ?  That  after- 
noon Mr.  Winthrop  had  given  his  consent.  "  She  is  too 
young,"  he  had  said  to  Tom.  "  But  your  father  and  I 
have  spoken  of  the  matter,  and  I  am  acting  for  him  as 
well  as  for  my  sell  Agnes  is  the  apple  of  my  eye,  Capt. 
Conant ;  but  I  don't  fear  to  give  her  to  you." 

"  May  God  so  deal  with  me  as  I  shall  deal  with  her," 
said  Tom  with  emotion. 

He  caught  her  in  his  arms  ;  "  My  darling,"  was  all 
he  uttered,  and  she,  permitting  his  embraces,  whispered, 
"Thine  and  Mine !  "  From  that  hour  Tom  Conant  and 
Agnes  Winthrop  were  to  be  all  and  all  to  each  other. 
It  was  arranged  that  Tom  would  return  to  England  and 
come  back  for  her  in  the  summer ;  but  the  engagement 
was  to  be  a  secret  until  after  the  holidays. 

Presently  the  young  couple  sought  the  seclusion  of 
the  park,  where  they  were  alone  among  hundreds 
of  people.  For  a  time  they  were  too  selfish  in  their 
happiness  to  care  for  the  presence  of  others.  Lan- 
guage to  them  was  no  longer  a  symbol  of  ideas,  and 
they  made  scant  use  of  it.  The  vocabulary  of  love  is 
not  made  up  of  spoken  words ;  a  look,  a  pose,  a  smile, 
a  pressure  of  the  hand  may  express  unnumbered  lights 
and  shades  of  passion.  Words  of  endearment  were  too 
faint  and  expressionless  to  paint  their  deep  and  over- 
powering attachment.  They  had  just  entered  a  new 
life,  a  paradise  of  bliss,  a  revelation,  a  beatitude  ;  they 
did  not  for  the  time  understand  that  others  had  been 
there  before,  and  that  still  others  would  follow  them. 
If  he  called  her,  "  my  darling,"  and  she  responded  "  my 
love,"  what  were  these  but  common  words  which  all  the 
world  had  used?  Theirs  was  a  grand  exceptional  pas- 
sion. There  was  no  othor  man  like  Tom  to  love,  and  np 


264  PBOISS80&  CONANT. 

otlier  •woman  like  Agnes  to  love  in  return,  and  yet  these 
raptures  must  consume  themselves  and  they  must  see 
the  world  moving  about  them. 

Let  the  artist  who  copied  the  sunbeam  portray  the 
rhapsodies  of  love,  and  leave  us  the  simpler  pleasure  of 
wishing  God-speed  to  the  young  lovers ! 

"  So  the  multitude  goes,  like  the  flower  or  the  weed 
That  withers  away  to  let  others  succeed. 
So  the  multitude  comes,  even  those  we  behold, 
To  repeat  every  tale  that  has  often  been  told." 

Tom  was  to  write  at  once  to  his  father  and  mother  the 
joyful  news  which  they  were  both  expecting ;  and  Agnes, 
who  remembered  to  have  met  Lord  Lester  in  London, 
would  try  and  persuade  Uncle  Horace  and  George  to 
accompany  her  on  her  visit  to  his  Lordship  in  Canada. 
George  she  thought  would  go,  if  Ethel  could  be  induced 
to  join  them.  Tom  took  the  hint  and  promised  to  do 
his  best  to  bring  about  this  arrangement. 

Meantime  our  prudent  young  lovers  had  permitted  no 
word  of  their  new  and  happy  relation  to  escape  them ; 
but  perhaps  if  the  others  had  been  less  absorbed,  signs 
might  have  been  detected  ;  as  it  was  the  day  passed  and 
the  night  fell  without  any  suspicion  among  Mr.  Win- 
throp's  guests  that  unusual  events  were  transpiring. 
Only  George  knew,  and  he  seemed  almost  gay  in  his 
congratulations. 

"I  think  I  could  have  loved  you  before  Agnes,  Tom," 
said  George,  "  if  I  had  seen  you  as  soon  as  she  did.  I 
began  to  love  you  from  the  day  you  set  your  foot  here. 
Such  things  must  happen,  only  it  is  hard  to  lose  my 
little  sister.  But  even  yet  I  may  take  my  revenge,"  he 
continued  ;  "  and  I  shall  find  compensation  in  a  big 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  265 

brother.  Take  my  blessing,"  he  added,  resting  a  hand 
upon  each,  "  and  as  for  you,  dear  Agnes,  may  your  joys 
be  as  boundless  as  your  brother's  love." 

"  Oh,  if  you  were  happy,  George !  "  she  said,  nestling 
close  to  his  bosom. 

"  I  dare  not  hope  too  much,  little  one,  but  it  may 
come  sooner  than  you  dream." 

George  went  to  the  library  in  answer  to  a  message 
from  his  uncle,  who  awaited  him  there.  "  I  have  given 
our  little  Agnes  away,  George,"  said  Mr.  Winthrop  in  a 
tremulous  voice. 

"  They  have  told  me  all,  and  you  have  done  right," 
replied  George.  "  She  will  leave  us  next  summer.  Tom 
was  impatient  of  delay,  but  Agues  must  study  another 
year.  It  will  all  be  over  soon  enough  now." 

"  Yes,  and  ours  will  be  a  lonely  house,"  observed  his 
uncle.  "  You  ought  to  marry,  my  boy." 

George  was  silent. 

Mr.  Winthrop  continued,  "You  have  suffered,  but  with 
your  temperament  you  should  marry  young ;  and  you 
may  even  profit  by  the  discipline  of  disappointment. 
The  companionship  of  a  good  woman  will  be  the  sheet- 
anchor  of  your  life  ;  without  it  you  may  grow  morose 
and  misanthropic." 

"  This  from  you,  sir  ?  "  inquired  George. 

"  You  allude  to  the  great  mistake  of  my  life,"  observed 
the  uncle. 

"  It  is  not  too  late  to  correct  it,"  rejoined  George. 
"You  are  not  old,  and  you  have  all  the  qualities  that 
should  make  a  good  woman  happy." 

"  Wo  will  speak  of  my  own  case  later,"  remarked  Mr. 
Winthrop,  "but  I  have  lately  dreamed  of  conditions 
which  may  in  time  render  my  case  even  hopeful ;  the  ex- 
12 


266  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

amplo  of  dear  little  Agnes  may  make  us  a  marrying 
family  ;  but  yours  is  more  pressing ;  the  prize  is  within 
your  reach  and  should  be  appreciated." 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,"  returned  George ;  "-my  posi- 
tion  is  equivocal ;  but,  believe  me,  I  am  not  indifferent." 

"  Your  position  will  not  distress  a  true  woman  ;  she 
will  not  love  you  less  on  account  of  your  lost  love. 
Any  woman  knows  that 

"  A  stricken  heart  which  loves  anew 
May  be  more  tender  and  more  true," 

Gustave,  pressed  by  engagements,  was  about  to  take 
his  leave,  and  it  was  arranged  that  Madame  De  Luynes 
would  return  to  Quebec,  accompanied  by  Tom's  party, 
on  a  visit  to  Lord  Lester.  Tom  had  received  a  cable 
from  home,  announcing  his  father's  safe  arrival,  his  find- 
ing all  well,  and  that  important  letters  would  follow  by 
mail.  The  week  flew  past  like  a  happy  dream  to  the 
young  people  and  the  hour  of  Carlotta's  departure  was  at 
hand.  They  were  all  to  go  with  her  as  far  as  Montreal, 
a  common  point  in  their  journey,  and  from  thence 
George  and  Bobert  would  escort  Mme.  De  Luynes  to 
Quebec,  the  others  ascending  the  river  to  Ottawa. 

Ottawa  is  a  prettily  situated  town  on  the  river  of  that 
name,  having  some  beautiful  natural  scenery,  a  com- 
manding position,  and  distinguished  by  a  magnificent  pile 
of  public  buildings,  of  the  Gothic  style  of  architecture. 

Government  House,  Lord  Lester's  residence,  is  situ- 
ated in  a  fine  park,  some  two  miles  from  the  town,  but  the 
residence  is  only  remarkable  because  the  Queen's  rep- 
resentative lives  there.  It  is  long,  low  and  rambling,  and 
has  been  made  up  piecemeal  as  the  growing  import- 
ance of  what  has  been  miscalled  Canada's  court-life 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  267 

expanded  and  required  further  accommodations  ;  but 
it  lias  witnessed  gay  scenes  and  magnificent  entertain- 
ments under  the  patronage  of  quasi-royal  forms  and 
ceremonies.  A  former  Governor,  whose  successes  in  life 
have  been  remarkable,  made  the  place  distinguished  for 
its  princely  hospitalities,  and  for  the  genial  qualities 
and  rare  gifts  of  its  temporary  incumbent.  More  than 
any  previous  Governor  he  had  endeared  himself  to  his 
guests  and  to  the  people,  while  his  lovely  Countess  lent 
grace  and  fascination  to  the  scenes.  As  the  successor 
of  such  an  incumbent,  Lord  Lester's  task  was  difficult, 
but  he  had  proved  equal  to  his  work,  while  his  august 
wife,  bearing  a  sweet  presence  and  a  great  name,  added 
lustre  to  his  administration. 

The  Parliament  of  the  Dominion  had  been  called 
early  this  year,  and  would  be  re-opened  on  the  morrow 
by  the  Governor  in  person.  The  night  before  the  open- 
ing, His  Excellency  annually  gave  a  great  dinner,  to 
which  his  Ministers  and  Privy  Councillors  and  the 
great  officers  of  State  were  invited.  Of  course  the  din- 
ner would  take  place  that  night,  and  Tom  and  his 
friends  who  had  been  invited,  modestly  asked  permis- 
sion to  decline,  as,  being  strangers,  they  would  feel 
themselves  out  of  place  at  a  great  state  dinner ;  but 
they  were  told  by  the  aide-de-camp  in  waiting  that  they 
must  accept  the  invitation  in  deference  to  the  wishes 
of  Her  Excellency,  who  had  requested  that  ceremony 
should  be  waived  in  their  favor. 

The  old  house  was  en  fete  under  the  gas-light,  and  its 
tasteful  decorations  made  the  scene  a  gay  one.  As 
they  entered  the  great  dining-hall,  Tom  noticed  that 
there  were  covers  for  a  large  party,  and  that  no  ladies 
were  present ;  but  he  was  told  that  the  wives  and 


2G8  PROFESSOR  CON  ANT. 

daughters  of  the  ministers  and  other  guests  would 
arrive  later  in  the  evening.  A  fine  band  discoursed 
music  at  a  convenient  distance,  and  a  Highland  piper 
now  and  then  strolled  majestically  round  the  table,  and 
contributed  to  swell  the  melodies. 

It  was  a  goodly  company ;  the  varied  uniforms  and 
decorations  blended  prettily,  and  it  was  all  more  like 
"home"  than  anything  Tom  had  seen  in  America. 
" Poor  De  Luynes,"  he  thought,  "should  have  had  a 
place  among  these  magnates.  I  wonder  which  of  them 
all  does  not  at  heart,  though  he  may  bask  in  the  favor 
of  the  men  who  crushed  Maurice,  cherish  the  doctrines 
for  which  they  proscribed  him  ?  " 

There  sat  next  to  Tom  a  civil  servant,  an  intelligent 
man  who  had  been  a  Member  of  Parliament,  and  who 
seemed  disposed  to  be  sociable.  They  discussed  the 
civil  service,  which  Tom  thought  nearly  perfect  in 
England  ;  but  his  neighbor  only  thought  it  better  as  it 
was  farther  removed  from  politics. 

"  But  your  civil  service  is  not  political,  is  it  ?  "  in- 
quired Tom. 

"  Theoretically,  no,"  was  the  reply  ;  "  but  I  suppose 
the  incumbents  generally  owe  their  position  to  politics." 

"  Yes,  they  are  all  appointed  on  the  recommendation 
of  Ministers,  no  doubt,"  said  Tom  ;  "  but  the  system  is 
different  here  from  that  in  the  States." 

"To  this  extent — we  appoint  for  life." 

"Are  there  ever  dismissals  for  political  reasons? " 

"  Such  reasons  would  not  be  avowed,'5  replied  the 
other  cautiously.  "  But  there  are  advantages  in  having 
the  sympathy  of  the  strong  side,  and  disadvantages 
in  being  known  to  have  sprung  from  the  weak  one. 
Suppose  I  had  been  appointed  by  the  last  government, 


"  THINE  AND  MINE."  269 

it  would  be  a  miracle  if  I  should  get  favors  from  the 
present." 

"  That  seems  hard,"  observed  Tom  ;  "I  should  not 
think  Lester  would  permit  it.  A  great  deal  was  ex- 
pected at  home  from  his  administration  here." 

"  Pardon  me  if  I  say,"  said  his  friend,  "  that  there  is 
misapprehension  at  home  about  the  functions  of  the 
Queen's  representative  here.  It  is  common  to  read  in 
the  leading  journals  of  Lord  So-and-So's  (meaning  the 
Governor's)  successful  administration  in  Canada.  I  do 
not  discuss  his  constitutional  powers,  but  if  they  gave 
him  the  right  to  mould  the  policy  of  his  administration, 
it  has  fallen  into  disuse.  Practically  speaking,  His  Ex- 
cellency is  a  figure-head  ;  the  government  is  that  of  his 
Prime  Minister.  Once  in  a  while,  if  there  happens  to 
be  friction,  we  hear  of  the  Governor's  constitutional 
powers ;  but  in  moulding  a  policy,  any  power  he  is 
supposed  to  have,  is  exercised  so  seldom  that  our 
people  have  forgotten  that  he  possesses  any,  or  that  it 
amounts  to  much." 

"  He  is  one  of  the  estates  of  the  realm,"  said  Tom. 

"  Yes,  and  as  such  he  assents  to  bills,  replies  to  ad- 
dresses, and  entertains  by  giving  dinners  and  balls." 

"  Then,  why  not  abolish  the  office  ?  "  Tom  persisted. 

"  Because  it  is  almost  the  last  remnant  of  Imperial 
connection,"  was  the  significant  reply.  "We  love  Eng- 
land because  we  sprang  from  her  and  she  fostered  us  ; 
but  year  by  year  our  relations  have  grown  anomalous 
and  illogical.  Our  people  will  not  listen  to  the  truth, 
and  you  Englishmen  are  too  busy  to  consider  it.  But 
there  would  be  an  awakening  if  we  should. elect  our 
Governor  some  day." 

"  This  is  plain  talk  from  headquarters,"  Tom  thought 


270  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

"  One  wonders  to  what  extent  this  gentleman  represents 
Canadian  opinion.  Oh  !  if  there  were  an  enchantment 
to  disclose  what  the  people  want,  what  public  opinion 
is,  or  will  be,  at  a  given  time,  what  statesmen  we  might 
all  become,  and  how  many  ruthless  political  disappoint- 
ments might  be  avoided !  " 

When  dinner  was  over  and  they  had  all  sought  the 
drawing-room,  they  found  a  largo  number  of  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  guests  who  had  been  bidden  to  come  later 
in  the  evening,  together  with  the  ladies  of  the  house- 
hold, mingling  among  them.  Her  Excellency  was  in 
earnest  conversation  with  Miss  Winthrop.  She  sig- 
nalled Tom  to  approach  them. 

"You  can  help  us,"  said  my  lady.  "Miss  Winthrop 
is  trying  to  explain  to  me  your  late  dreadful  experiences 
at  sea."  Tom  answered  her  questions  respectfully,  and 
at  length  she  complained  of  cold,  and  picking  up  a  bit 
of  wood  from  the  corner  in  which  she  was  standing  she 
cast  it  into  the  grate  as  unconcernedly  as  though  it  had 
been  the  business  of  her  life.  She  asked  Tom  if  he 
liked  the  country,  and  remarked  that  she  had  herself 
been  very  fond  of  it  since  she  came  to  it.  Her  physi- 
cians, however,  had  found  it  too  cold  for  her  health, 
and  the  newspapers  had  construed  her  absence  into 
dislike.  They  had  done  her  a  great  injustice,  and  she 
hopsd  her  friends  would  everywhere  contradict  the 
story  on  her  authority. 

Mr.  Winthrop  enjoyed  an  evening's  conversation  on 
favorite  topics  with  charming  people,  and  Fred  told  of 
a  high  dignitary  who  had  been  polite  to  him,  but  was 
very  rude  to  Lindley  Murray.  The  dignitary  in  ques- 
tion had  adopted  a  very  aristocratic  and  exclusive  tone, 
and  had  told  him  that  he  always  regretted  the  Liberals 


"THINE  AND  MINE."  271 

coming  into  power,  not  on  account  of  politics,  but  be- 
cause it  gave  vulgar  people  the  entree  to  society,  add- 
ing, with  a  confidential  shake  of  his  head,  "  I  seen  it 
much  degraded  thereby." 

"  He  shall  offset  our  "Washington  friend,"  observed 
Tom  to  Mr.  Winthrop. 

"  He  was  more  pretentious  but  not  less  vulgar,"  Fred 
continued.  "He  spoke  to  me  of  his  daughters,  and 
presented  me  to  them.  Would  you  believe  it,  they  are 
not  only  pretty,  but  accomplished  girls.  I  was  curious 
to  know  about  the  father,  and  found  he  had  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  fortune  by  keeping  a  corner  grocery 
in  one  of  the  large  towns." 

"That  explains  his  relation  to  politics,"  remarked 
Mr.  "Winthrop,  "  and  clears  his  way  to  the  Senate, 
no  doubt.  He  would  pass  with  you  as  a  licensed 
victualler.  No  doubt  the  young  ladies  have  been  well 
trained  and  illustrate  the  Professor's  hopes  for  the 
second  generation." 

"We  meet  most  desirable  acquaintances  in  both 
countries ;  there  is  no  need  to  leave  home  to  find 
vulgar  people,"  said  Tom. 

"  You  are  already  beginning  to  feel  the  responsibility 
for  your  associates,  Capt.  Conant,"  said  Fred,  with  a 
mischievous  grin ;  "  perhaps  you  won't  be  the  only 
fellow  with  an  American  wife." 

Mr.  Winthrop  laughed,  Tom  whistled,  and  they  all 
thought  it  was  time  to  retire. 

Next  morning  there  was  a  cable  from  Dr.  Conant  in 
these  words  :  "If  letter  serious  come  home  at  once." 
"Which  means,"  explained  Tom  to  Lord  Lester,  "that 
if  I  have  really  determined  to  stand  for  the  Commons, 
I  ought  to  return  and  go  to  work  " 


272  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

There  -were  but  three  days  now  to  catch  the  outward- 
bound  steamer,  and  they  all  understood  that  there  was 
no  time  to  lose  ;  so  the  same  afternoon  saw  them  de- 
parting, Tom  for  England,  and  Agnes,  as  she  told  him, 
for  her  great,  lonesome  Boston  home.  Both  Robert 
and  Fred  Cuthbert'were  to  remain  longer  in  America, 
but  Tom  sailed  for  home  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE   BRITISH  LION   FONDLES   THE  PROFESSOR. 

WE  must  take  a  three  months'  vacation  now,  though, 
meantime,  the  world  will  move,  and  some  things  of 
interest  to  us  will  happen.  Politics  had  been  running 
high  in  England ;  there  was  a  popular  clamor  against 
the  Ministry,  and  a  wide-spread  demand  for  conces- 
sions ;  all  the  by-elections  had  lately  gone  against  the 
Government.  "It  never  rains  but  it  pours."  The 
health  of  the  Prime  Minister  had  been  seriously  af- 
fected, and  the  story  of  his  early  resignation  was 
bruited  about  and  believed.  There  were  the  usual 
intrigues  and  party  defections  ;  opposing  interests  were 
on  the  alert ;  rival  factions  were  pushing  extreme  claims, 
and  the  nation  was  aglow  with  excitement,  or  appre- 
hensive of  impending  danger.  There  was  no  real 
leadership,  and  the  claims  of  personal  aspirants  were 
hotly  discussed.  Dr.  Conant,  who  had  hitherto  stood 
well  in  the  country,  was  now  the  idol  of  the  laboring 
classes  ;  public  meetings  were  everywhere  held  to  pro- 
mote this  or  to  denounce  that  set  of  opinions,  and  the 
kingdom  resounded  with  the  eloquence  of  local  orators 
and  budding  statesmen. 

In  other  countries  such  unwonted  heat  might  have 
generated  an  explosion  ;  but  these  Englishmen,  .arrayed 
for  contest  as  they  were,  would  fight  their  bitter  battles 

at  the   polls.     When  victory  was  declared,   or  defeat 
12* 


274  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

assured,  they  would  for  the  time  accept  the  result  as 
inevitable.  A  less  stolid  or  more  mercurial  people 
might  have  persisted  in  agitation  and  precipitated  dis- 
aster, but  the  English  understood  constitutional  govern- 
ment, and  they  knew  that  majorities  must  rule.  The 
Government  were  not  indifferent  spectators.  They  had 
asked  for  a  dissolution,  but  it  had  been  denied  them. 
The  people  shouted  for  reconstruction  and  an  amended 
policy,  until  finally  Lord  Bramley,  broken  in  health  and 
spirits,  resigned.  The  great  Whig,  Lord  Elton,  was 
sent  for  by  the  Sovereign,  and  undertook  the  duty  of 
forming  a  new  Government,  but  his  duties  and  his  dif- 
ficulties began  together.  He  had  given  an  unpopular 
Irish  vote,  and  the  Radicals  dreaded  his  too  conserva- 
tive leanings.  Finally,  after  a  week  of  ineffectual  effort, 
he  abandoned  the  task  as  hopeless,  and  recommended 
that  Dr.  Conant  be  called.  The  masses  were  already 
demanding  this,  but  for  reasons,  perhaps  connected 
with  the  American  trip,  the  advice  was  at  first  un- 
heeded. After  other  trials  and  further  delays,  and 
still  greater  excitement,  Professor  Conant  was  sent 
for  and  accepted  the  high  duty,  on  condition  that  a 
dissolution  should  take  place. 

There  was  a  coolness  at  first  among  the  more  conserv- 
ative "Whigs,  but,  barring  this,  the  popular  enthusiasm 
knew  no  bounds  ;  and  his  administration  was  formed 
without  difficulty.  The  dissolution  that  followed,  and 
the  Prime  Minister  who  appealed  to  them,  were  what 
the  people  demanded.  It  was  a  long  struggle  between 
mighty  forces.  But  the  popular  star  was  in  the  ascend- 
ant, and  the  Government  was  sustained  by  an  immense 
majority. 

The  new  Parliament  was  distinguished  for  a  large  in- 


THE  BRITISH  LION  FONDLES  THE  PROFESSOR.  275 

fusion  of  young  men,  and  a  well-known  North-of-Eng- 
land  County  had  returned  our  old  friends,  Col.  Lyons 
and  Capt.  Tom  Conant. 

"  Tom,"  Iris  father  said,  "  had  developed  into  a  won- 
derful stump  orator,  thanks,  perhaps,  to  his  recent  visit 
to  the  States."  At  any  rate,  he  had  been  indefatigable, 
and  was  prepared  to  enjoy  the  rest  and  triumph  which, 
followed  his  victory. 

Parliament  was  immediately  summoned,  and  the 
speech  contained  propositions  which  the  enemies  of  the 
Government  pronounced  startling,  but  which  were  gen- 
erally regarded  as  wise  by  the  supporters  of  the  Prime 
Minister,  and  were  especially  satisfactory  to  the  Radi- 
cals. Caution  and  Conservatism  are  generally  cultiva- 
ted by  the  English  people ;  but  with  their  minds  once 
fixed  upon  accomplishing  progressive  changes,  they  un- 
dertake the  work  with  vigor,  and  with  a  confidence  in 
the  masses  which  is  not  often  misplaced.  Capt.  Thomas 
Conant,  as  a  young  member,  was  to  move  the  resolu- 
tions on  which  would  be  founded  the  address  in  reply 
to  the  Speech  from  the  Throne.  Nobody  ever  expects 
anything  from  the  orator  on  such  occasions.  He  fol- 
lows a  conventional  form,  and  his  style,  to  be  orthodox, 
should  be  prosy  and  spiritless.  The  reply  itself  is 
usually  an  echo  of  the  Speech  from  the  Throne,  and 
the  mover  and  seconder  follow  the  text  without 
originality  or  amplification.  In  the  first  part  of  his 
speech  Capt.  Conant  followed  this  rule  in  a  tremulous 
voice  and  was  supported  by  conventional  cheers ;  but 
as  he  came  to  topics  of  interest  his  words  began  to 
ring  out  upon  the  Chamber,  and  he  spoke  like  an  en- 
thusiast who  believed  what  he  said.  "  It  is  a  glorious 
privilege,"  Tom  said,  "  to  sit  in  this  hall  and  legislate 


276  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

for  a  great  people.  We  are  the  successors  of  former 
Parliaments,  in  a  long  line  and  from  the  earliest  days, 
•which  had  moulded  the  policy  and  guided  the  destiny 
of  the  kingdom.  To  say  that  we  have  grown  more 
wealthy  and  powerful,  that  the  country  is  more  free  and 
the  people  are  better  informed  than  in  the  days  of  their 
ancestors,  is  speaking  only  the  truth,  and  paying  a 
just  compliment  to  the  liberty  and  progress  which  the 
British  Constitution  has  gradually  developed.  Some 
people  profess  to  be  alarmed  at  the  larger  liberties 
which  the  Speech  from  the  Throne  proposes  should  be 
secured  for  the  people  ;  and  in  prophesying  anarchy 
and  revolution  as  a  consequence  of  such  concessions, 
they  are  but  repeating  the  tactics  of  those  obstruc- 
tionists who,  from  age  to  age,  as  privilege  has  been 
gradually  restricted  and  freedom  enlarged,  have  made 
themselves  prophets  of  evil,  and  foretold  consequences 
which  have  never  followed  reform.  Which  of  those 
ameliorations  of  the  people's  condition  lias  been  sig- 
nalized by  the  people's  abuse  of  the  power  given  them  ? 
Which  of  the  steps  would  you  retrace  that  you  have 
taken  toward  a  nearer  Democratic  rule  ?  Your  confi- 
dence is  in  the  rich,"  he  said,  his  eyes  resting  on  the 
Opposition  benches.  "  You  dread  the  masses  as  if  they 
were  the  enemies  of  the  State,  but  as  history  records 
our  national  troubles,  can  you  fairly  say  that  the  great 
body  of  the  people  has  been  less  loyal  and  devoted 
than  the  aristocratic  and  privileged  classes  upon  which 
you  prefer  to  depend  ?  By  multiplying  their  liberties 
you  have  made  the  masses  an  element  of  strength. 
Then  why  should  we  dread,  in  the  light  of  such  experi- 
ence, these  further  concessions  ?  "  (A  voice  derisively : 
"  Oh,  America  is  the  land  of  liberty.")  "  I  am  not 


THE  BRITISH  LION  FONDLES  THE  PROFESSOR.    277 

sure,"  continued  Oapt.  Conant,  "  that,  barring  the  fact 
that  her  franchise  is  more  extended,  America  is  a  freer 
country  than  ours ;  but  this  proposition  of  the  Govern- 
ment will  tend  to  equalize  whatever  difference  there  is. 
I  have  seen  nothing  in  America,  let  me  tell  this  House, 
to  compensate  for  the  tyranny  which  a  four  years' 
Presidential  term  of  hostile  estates  might  render  pos- 
sible. In  this  country,  or  in  Canada,  the  power  of  the 
executive  would  ba  measured  by  its  ability  to  con- 
trol the  popular  branch  of  the  Legislature;  the  bal- 
ances are  adjusted  to  a  delicate  touch,  and  the  Govern- 
ment must  fall  the  moment  it  ceases  to  command  a 
majority.  In  Washington,  the  power  of  the  President 
is  assumed  for  a  definite  term.  It  is  only  incidentally 
that  the  people  could  reach  their  President  during  his 
term  of  office,  even  if  he  were  in  open  or  flagrant  op- 
position to  their  views,  as  expressed  by  their  represent- 
atives." (An  honorable  member :  "  It  is  a  relief  to 
know  that  there  is  something  to  criticise  in  America.") 
Capt.  Conant — "  There  are  wise  men  in  America  who 
court  criticism  and  understand  the  abuses  of  their  po- 
litical system.  There  are  others,  no  doubt,  who,  perhaps, 
like  the  honorable  gentleman,  believe  that  *  nothing 
good  can  come  out  of  Nazareth  ; '  but  the  fact  remains 
that  the  teachings  of  American  history  enlighten  and 
guide  us,  and  that  we  in  England  are  wisely  borrow- 
ing from  the  store  of  American  experience.  I  hope 
I  did  not  detect  a  sneer  in  the  interruption  of  the  hon- 
orable gentleman.  England  and  America  have  to  teach 
each  other  lessons  of  liberty.  Only  the  enemies  of 
both  countries  could  gloat  over  the  embarrassments  of 
either.  Their  people,  mindful  of  the  perils  which  in 
other  times  have  overtaken  liberty,  should  stand  man 


278  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

to  man  for  her  defense,  and  should  treat  as  a  public 
enemy  the  incendiaries  of  either  country,  who  would 
sow  dissensions  among  them."  Tom  continued,  pass- 
ing on  to  other  topics,  but  this  episode  we  have  men- 
tioned pleased  the  House,  whose  enthusiasm  was  ex- 
pressed in  repeated  cheers,  and  finally,  when  Capt. 
Conant  resumed  his  seat,  the  manifestations  of  satisfac- 
tion were  abundant,  and  several  old  members  crossed 
the  floor  to  compliment  him  heartily.  He  had  scored  a 
point,  which  it  is  not  often  the  privilege  of  young  mem- 
bers to  do.  He  had  moved  the  reply  to  a  Queen's 
Speech,  and,  in  any  event,  the  journals  would  treat  him 
to  the  conventional  encomium  the  next  morning,  but  he 

o* 

had  done  more  ;  during  the  greater  part  of  his  speech 
he  had  been  really  eloquent ;  and  he  had  gained  what  is 
tantamount  to  success  in  public  life, — he  had  won  the 
fastidious  ear  of  the  English  House  of  Commons. 

The  Prime  Minister  made  no  attempt  to  disguise  his 
interest  and  his  emotion  ;  for  the  moment,  the  father's 
heart  gave  way  in  the  august  presence  of  the  nation, 
and  his  friends  said  he  had  not  only  consecrated  his 
own  life  to  the  State  but  was  giving  a  son,  who  was 
worthy  of  him,  to  her  service. 

Tom  did  not  fail  to  measure  his  own  success,  but  his 
first  thought  was  for  a  little  girl  who  was  thinking  of 
him  far  across  the  water.  Could  she  know  instinctively 
of  this  first  triumph  in  his  public  life  ?  Could  he  allow 
her  to  wait  the  slow  course  of  the  mail  before  she  knew 
that  the  success  she  coveted  for  him  had  been  won?  It 
was  the  first  step  in  his  career.  He  was  not  an  egotist, 
but  he  had  triumphed,  and  he  was  in  love.  It  must 
have  been  at  his  suggestion  that  the  following  cable- 
gram was  sent : 


111E  BRITISH  LION  FONDLES  THE  PROFESSOR.   279 

"HOUSE  OF  COMMONS,  LONDON. 
"  Senator  Winthrop, 

"  Boston,  Mass. : 

"  For  Miss  Winthrop. 
"  Tom's  maiden  speech  a  great  success. 

"  ALEXANDER   CONAXT." 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

GATHERING  IN  THE  THBEADS. 

IN  the  quiet  of  a  Sunday  morning  breakfast,  the 
Conants  were  speaking  of  the  events  of  the  past  week. 
Tom  described  his  diffidence  at  opening  on  the  night  of 
his  speech.  "At  first  you  might  have  heard  my  heart 
beat,  and  seen  my  knees  knock  together,"  he  said ;  "  but 
that  I  felt  as  if  I  enjoyed  a  little  official  protection,  be- 
cause I  was  replying  to  the  Royal  speech,  I  might  have 
failed." 

"You  did  not  fail,"  said  his  father;  "some  parts  of 
your  speech  were  very  able.  But  your  triumph  con- 
sisted in  showing  that  you  can  do  better.  You  must 
not  speak  again  till  you  are  thoroughly  master  both  of 
your  subject  and  the  occasion.  The  House  listened 
and  applauded  to-day.  You  won  its  ear.  You  must  do 
not  only  as  well  but  a  great  deal  better  next  time,  and 
then  you  will  have  won  your  spurs. " 

"  Thanks  for  your  kind  opinion,"  said  Tom ;  "  I  will 
do  my  best." 

Quiet  Mrs.  Conant  was  happy,  but  she  was  not  proud  ; 
of  course,  distinctions  were  worth  winning,  and  it  was 
yet  nobler  to  do  good.  But  she  had  given  her  husband 
to  the  public  service,  and  sometimes  she  pined  for  the 
old  days  when  she  saw  him  more  and  before  he  was  so 
absent  and  absorbed.  Was  it  her  duty  to  give  her  son 
too,  or  would  he  be  not  so  much  lost  to  her  ? 


GATHERING  IN  THE  THREADS.  281 

In  the  midst  of  his  triumphs  Tom  received  a  letter 
from  Lord  Bolton.  There  had  been  several  short  notes 
from  that  nobleman,  from  which  it  was  gleaned  that  he 
had  been  passing  his  time  pleasantly  in  California.  His 
letter  began  by  reminding  Tom  of  the  strange  incident 
which  had  induced  Lord  Lester  to  avoid  the  dinner 
party  of  thirteen  in  Quebec,  and  of  the  Professor's  ex- 
planations as  to  the  origin  of  the  superstition.  "  I  have 
found  here,"  it  went  on,  "  a  strange  society,  consist- 
ing of  the  best  people  and  organized  in  the  form  of  a 
club,  solely  to  rebuke  this  superstition.  It  is  called 
the  Thirteen  Club,  and  its  motto  is  'Morituri  te  scdu- 
tamus.' 

"  The  club  is  composed  of  thirteen  original  mem- 
bers, and  it  is  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  legislature 
of  the  state.  The  act  of  incorporation  declares  that  its 
object,  besides  being  charitable,  is  to  combat  by  argu- 
ment, by  essays,  and  by  example,  the  prevalent  super- 
stition against  "unlucky  Fridays  and  against  the  pre- 
judice in  setting  thirteen  at  dinner,  a  prejudice  which 
is  believed  to  be  at  variance  with  the  enlightened  intel- 
ligence of  the  age.  The  regular  meetings  are  all  held 
on  the  thirteenth  day  of  each  month.  The  dinners  are 
to  be  served  with  thirteen  courses  at  each  table,  non- 
attendance  or  non-payment  of  dues  for  thirteen  months 
is  made  the  cause  of  suspension  of  membership.  The 
menu,  the  wine  bill,  and  all  the  literature  of  the  club  are 
in  keeping  with  this  object.  I  sometimes  dine  there, 
and  am  supposed  to  have  been  fitted  for  initiation  by 
the  experiences  which  I  have  related  to  you.  It  is,  to 
say  the  least,  a  coincidence,  and  I  think  the  idea  is 
original ;  perhaps  it  will  interest  our  friends.  This  is  a 
strange  country,  as  is  the  history  of  its  marvellous  de- 


282  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

velopment.     The  city  of  San    Francisco   is  beautiful, 
though  the  buildings  are  generally  low  to  avoid  the  risk 
of  earthquakes,  which  are  not  infrequent  here.     The 
society  is  cosmopolitan,  and  the  business  of  the  town  is 
conducted  by  the  people  of  all  nations.     Some  of  the 
most  fabulous  fortunes  in  the  United  States  have  been 
made  here ;  and  the  palaces  of  men  who  started  life  a 
few  years  ago  would  rival  in  splendor  the  royal  palaces 
at  home.     There  is  in  California  almost  every  variety  of 
soil  and  production.     At  any  season  you  may  journey  in 
a  day  from  almost  tropical  heat  to  continual  snow,  in- 
cluding nearly  all  varieties  of  temperature.     Of  course, 
the  country  is  young,  but  its  progress  has  been  magical. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  refinement  in  this  particular 
city,  as  well  as  over  the  state.     I  like  the  people.     You 
find  travelled  men  and  women  here,  who  would  do  credit 
to  the  drawing-rooms  of  our  great  capitals.   I  have  spent 
some  days  in  the  mountains,  and  have  visited  several 
towns  ;  two  or  three  of  which  are  beautiful.     One  little 
town  of  five  thousand  people  nestling  in  a  basin  among 
the  mountains,  and  inhabited   largely  by  miners,  has 
scarcely  a  house  (if  you  except  the  Chinese  quarters) 
which  is  not  neat,  surrounded  by  grounds  well  cultivated, 
and  abounding  in  choice  flowers.     The  people  are  in- 
telligent, hospitable  and  law-abiding.   I  have  never  seen 
a  mining  town  where  the  evidences  of  thrift  and  taste 
and  contentment   are  so   general.     You  approach  the 
town,  which  is  a  county  seat,  by  a  unique  little  railway ; 
a  narrow-gauge  road  connects  it  with  the  main  line,  and 
passes  over  mountains,  crags  and  canons,  which  would 
make  your  head  dizzy,  and  curves  about  in  a  way  that 
would  have  generated  lunacy  among  the  railway  engi- 
neers of  a  few  years  ago.     I  like  the  country,  and  have 


GATHERING  IN  THE  THREADS.  283 

purchased  a  largo  ranch  in  one  of  the  valleys,  -which  I 
propose  to  stock  with  fifty  thousand  sheep  in  the  proper 
season.  I  have  reserved  a  place  for  you  as  herdsman, 
which  I  think  you  will  grace,  and  I  expect  to  make  my- 
self useful  under  your  supervision.  Seriously,  you 
must  arrange  to  come  out  next  summer  en  route,  per- 
haps, for  China  on  a  government  mission.  I  shall  re- 
turn East  in  a  week  or  two,  and  possibly  spend  some 
time  with  Lester  in  Canada." 

A  few  days  later,  a  letter  was  received  from  Miss 
"Winthrop.  She  had  to  acknowledge  the  Professor's 
cablegram,  and  was  profuse  in  expressions  of  thankful- 
ness and  congratulation.  Robert  Holt  had  lately  re- 
turned from  England,  and  George  had  met  him  in  Quebec, 
but  Mr.  Cuthbert  was  not  expected  until  summer.  In 
the  meantime,  a  correspondence,  she  thought,  was  going 
on  between  General  Elmwood  and  Sir  John  Cuthbert, 
about  which  she  only  knew  what  her  little  cousin,  Miss 
Elmwood,  had  told  her,  under  a  strict  promise  to  keep 
it  from  Tom ;  so,  of  course,  she  could  not  tell  him. 
But  he  knew  it  all  from  Fred,  who  only  the  night  before 
had  been  raving  about  a  certain  event  which  was  "  to 
come  off  "  at  Bloomfield,  as  if  it  were  really  of  interna- 
tional importance.  "At  any  rate,  it  will  make  you  and 
me  cousins,"  Fred  had  said  to  Tom.  "Is  it  not  strange 
that  I  should  have  gone  out  intent  upon  slaughtering 
the  Americans,  and  here  I  am  a  captive  bound  by 
silken  cords  ?  " 

"  George,"  Miss  Winthrop  reported  to  Tom,  "  had 
been  two  or  three  times  in  Quebec,  and  had  met  Ethel 
in  Hartford  ;  and  Carlotta  had  lately  written  Agnes  a 
long,  sweet  letter,  stronger  and  more  confident  in  spirit, 
and  evincing  earnest  religious  feeling."  Then  the  letter 


284  PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

took  Torn  aside  to  private  thoughts  whither  we  must 
not  follow  him. 


"  My  thoughts  of  thee  too  sacred  are, 

For  daylight's  common  beam, 
I  can  but  know  thee  as  my  star, 
My  angel,  and  my  dream  !  " 


Mrs.  Conant  thought  it  was  strange  Robert  should 
have  gone  out  again  in  mid-winter.  "  It  can't  be  the 
child,"  she  said  to  the  Professor,  "  there  must  be  some 
other,  if  not  stronger,  fascination.  I  remember  that 
when  I  pressed  Tom's  example  upon  him,  he  spoke  in 
a  mysterious  way  of  the  only  woman  he  could  love 
being  wedded  to  the  grave.  I  knew  what  he  meant, 
but  it  did  not  at  the  time  impress  me.  Yet  I  should 
have  known,  for  he  spoke  much  of  a  life  devoted  to 
good  works ;  and  an  ambition  to  consecrate  himself  to 
the  priesthood  of  charity.  I  was  so  much  occupied  with 
my  own  cares,  and  so  thankful  for  what  it  was  my  duty 
to  regard  as  special  mercies,  that  I  am  afraid  I  neg- 
lected the  poor  boy ;  but  I  had  no  idea  he  was  going 
away  then,  and  I  felt  that  it  was  safe  to  put  him  off  a 
little.  Why  did  you  not  bring  him  into  Parliament  ?  " 
she  inquired  of  the  Professor. 

"I  sought  to  persuade  him,"  replied  Dr.  Conant, 
"  but  he  was  averse." 

"It  is  not  too  late;  his  own  county  of  Kingsmere 
will  be  open  presently.  Nobody  could  well  oppose  him 
there." 

"Then  I  must  write  him  at  once,"  remarked  good 
Mrs.  Conant.  "  Robert  has  great  gifts ;  but  what  ho 
needs  now  is  absorbing  occupation.  I  dread  for  a 


GATHERING  IN  THE  THREADS.  285 

-woman  tho  character  of  political  intriguer,  but  my  hus- 
band will  forgive  me  if  I  ask  so  much  for  my  sister's 
onl}'  boy." 

"  It  will  bo  no  gift  of  mine,"  replied  the  Professor ; 
"  the  constituency  is  his  own  family  stronghold.  Ho 
can  win  it  himself  if  he  chooses.  But  whatever  ho 
needs  shall  be  done  for  him.  There  would  be  no  favor- 
itism. A  worthier  member  for  Kingsmere  could  not  bo 
found  in  the  kingdom." 

And  so  it  was  agreed  that  Mrs.  Conant  should  write 
Kobert  at  Quebec,  from  which  place  his  last  letter  had 
been  dated.  After  explaining  to  him  the  chances,  sho 
told  him  that  he  needed  work,  and  that  there  could  be 
no  nobler  occupation  than  to  sit  with  the  first  body  of 
gentlemen  in  tho  world,  and  to  help  to  administer  tho 
affairs  of  the  freest  and  most  powerful  of  nations.  Be- 
nevolence would  be  still  open  to  him,  and  public  affairs 
need  not  stand  in  the  way  of  the  most  far-reaching  of 
his  charities.  Even  if  honors  did  not  entice  him,  in  no 
other  position  could  he  enjoy  greater  opportunities  of 
doing  good  to  his  race  ;  and  she  wanted  him  to  stand 
for  Kingsmere,  and,  if  possible,  to  enter  the  House  of 
Commons. 

How  could  good  Mrs.  Conant  know  that  when  Robert 
received  the  letter  he  would  be  prostrate  with  grief, 
and  regard  himself  as  withered  and  blighted  ?  So  sud- 
den and  startling  are  sometimes  tho  vicissitudes  of  life, 
and  so  rapid  the  accumulations  of  disaster  !  We  must 
take  the  liberty  of  reading  the  sad  tale  which  he  told  in 
his  letter  to  his  aunt.  We  may  find  love,  hope,  friend- 
ship, grief  and  despair  illogically  interwoven  ;  but  a  sad 
story  excites  the  sympathy  and  perhaps  ennobles  the 
purposes  of  the  human  heart,  and  here  it  follows  : 


PROFESSOR   CONANT. 

"QUEBEC,  ,  18—. 

"Mv  OWN  DEAR  AUNT: 

"If  my  servant  had  asked  me  an  hour  ago,  '  Could  you  -write  a 
letter  to  Mrs.  Conant  to-day,  sir  ? '  I  am  sure  I  should  have  answered, 
'  Not  to-day ; '  f or  I  felt  so  weary,  so  stricken  and  overcome  that 
the  task  would  have  seemed  impossible ;  but  your  letter  has  given 
me  new  life,  though  I  cannot  obey  your  wishes ;  and  it  makes  me 
ask,  'What  am  I  that  I  should  set  myself  against  fate,  or  by  my 
rcpinings  accuse  the  Inevitable  ? '  You  shall  know  all.  The  mys- 
terious fascination  of  little  Ethel  over  me  is  no  secret  to  you.  "When 
I  thought  that  her  destiny  was  interwoven  with  mine,  my  friends 
found  me  superstitious  and  hysterical ;  others  might  have  sneered, 
you  were  full  of  charity,  though  you  feared  my  reason  was  giv- 
ing way  to  my  imagination.  But  explain  it  .is  you  may,  I  was  a 
prophet,  and  saw  as  clearly  as  could  have  done  Elijah  of  old.  When 
I  met  the  poor  father  I  was  drawn  to  him  as  I  had  been  drawn  to 
the  child,  and  I  knew  that  the  sweet  woman,  who  is  her  mother, 
was  in  some  way  to  absorb  my  life  in  hers.  In  two  days  poor  De 
Luyncs  had  become  my  dearest  friend,  and  I  knew  that  we  two 
had  something  approaching  fascination  for  each  other.  Was  it 
superstition,  or  rather  was  it  not  a  prescience?  I  had  no  idea  what 
was  to  happen,  but  I  was  impressed  that  startling  events,  which 
would  relate  to  our  mutual  interest  and  happiness,  were  pending. 
I  pondered  weary  days  and  sleepless  nights.  Why  did  these  people 
impress  me  so  much?  Why  was  my  soul  aglow  at  sight  of  this 
accomplished  man?  and  my  heart  melted  in  the  presence  of  this 
fascinating  woman?  Up  to  that  time  there  was  no  thought  of  the 
child.  By  degrees  it  became  plain  to  me  that  little  Ethel  was 
theirs.  Here  might  have  been,  but  was  not,  a  solution.  The 
finger  of  fate  still  pointed  forward,  the  weird  influence  still  per- 
meated my  being,  and  the  nameless  prophet  still  foretold  that  in 
some  way  this  beautiful  woman  was  unconsciously  to  mould  and 
fashion  my  life.  Then  on  that  terrible  night  at  sea,  Maurice  was 
taken,  and  by  little  less  than  a  miracle,  his  wife  was  saved ;  but 
she  struggled  long  between  life  and  death,  and  yet  I  instinctively 
knew  she  would  recover.  I  had  an  assurance  which  I  could  not 
explain,  and  of  which  I  could  not  have  spoken  to  others.  She  was 
to  live  and  guide  me.  I  saw  that  clearly.  But  in  what  way  I 


GATHERING  IN  THE  THREADS.  287 

could  only  conjecture.  What  wonder  if  my  heart  interpreted  the 
mystery? — She  teas  to  l>c  mine.  The  very  thought  -was  a  profanation 
of  grief  ;  but  I  entertained  though  I  would  not  have  expressed  it. 
She  -was  drawn  toward  me  because  I  had  saved  her  child,  as  well 
as  by  the  memory  of  her  husband's  friendship  for  me.  Did  I  de- 
ceive myself  if  I  hoped  there  might  in  time  grow  a  stronger  feel- 
ing ?  Since  DC  Luyncs's  death  she  has  been  much  with  the  Sisters, 
and  I  was  jealous  of  the  influence  they  exerted  over  her.  The 
priests  could  not  have  reached  her,  I  thought,  because  they  had 
dealt  unfairly  with  her  husband ;  but  the  ladies  were  gentle, 
affectionate  and  pious,  and  they  represented  the  Church  that  her 
husband  loved.  I  thought  they  were  propagandists  before  all 
things,  and  I  dreaded  lest  she  should  desert  the  religion  of  her 
fathers.  It  was  to  guard  her,  to  dissuade  her,  that  I  left  England 
BO  suddenly  in  the  winter.  She  admitted  to  me  that  her  ideas  of  a 
woman's  doing  good  were  associated  with  conventual  life,  and  that 
it  had  been  an  object  dear  to  the  heart  of  Maurice  that  she  should 
worship  with  him  within  the  same  communion.  She  allowed  mo 
to  expostulate,  but  she  was  not  much  impressed.  '  Christ,'  she 
said,  '  would  be  found  wherever  two  or  three  of  His  sen-ants  are 
gathered  in  His  name.'  She  preferred  Christian  to  sectarian  work, 
and  she  regarded  charity  as  the  holiest  of  Christian  efforts.  She 
pictured  to  me  the  sweet,  holy  life  of  the  Sisters  ;  how  they  visited 
the  sick,  and  '  bound  up  the  wounds  of  the  broken-hearted.'  She 
spoke  kindly  and  even  tenderly  to  me,  but  I  was  not  pleased  with 
the  success  of  my  mission.  Then  a  terrible  blow  fell  upon  us  all — 
little  Ethel  -was  stricken  with  a  deadly  malady,  which  frightened 
the  servants  from  the  house,  and  we  were  left  dependent  upon  the 
ministrations  of  the  Sisters.  Then  I  realized  all  I  had  read  of  the 
noble  devotion  of  these  holy  women.  They  nursed  the  child  night 
and  day,  and  they  gave  strength  and  consolation  to  the  mother. 
Little  Ethel  died;  I  was  prostrate  with  grief,  but  Carlotta  was 
calm,  strong  and  hopeful.  She  had  given  the  child  to  God,  she 
said,  and  to  its  father.  One  night,  when  she  fervently  prayed  for 
its  life,  she  saw  the  face  of  Maurice  looking  reproachfully  at  her, 
as  if  he  would  say,  '  Can  you  not  spare  me  the  child?'  She  had 
vowed  to  devote  her  life  to  the  Church  its  father  loved.  In  the 
presence  of  death  I  told  her  all,  and  she  said,  'if  Ethel  had  lived  it 


288  PROFESSOR  CONANT. 

might  have  been.'  My  dear  aunt,  is  it  a  strange,  unreal  story  ? 
Could  I  have  strength  to  face  the  world  just  as  Carlotta  DC  Luyncs 
retires  from  it  ?  Your  letter  was  kind,  and  the  prospect  you  hold 
out  would  once  have  been  alluring.  I  cannot  feel  as  if  time  will 
heal  all  things,  nor  as  if  old  ambitions  will  return." 


Mrs.  Conant  understood  the  letter  and  sympathized 
deeply  with  Robert  and  mourned  for  the  dear  little 
child,  which  had  so  recently  left  her,  but  it  was  at  her 
suggestion  that  Robert  was  put  in  nomination  for 
Kingsmere,  and  three  months  afterward,  though  he  was 
still  in  America,  he  was  elected  to  serve  in  Parliament. 
"He  will  thank  us  by-and-by,"  she  said,  "when  the 
days  of  his  mourning  are  over  and  when  he  finds  him- 
self face  to  face  with  great  duties." 

Meantime,  Ethel  had  written  George,  and  Tom  had 
thus  heard,  that  tho  illness  of  the  little  one  had  been 
terrible,  but  Carlotta  had  almost  accepted  its  death  as 
a  relief,  and  was  strong  and  brave  afterward.  "  The 
sweet  Sisters,"  as  Ethel  thought,  "had  given  her 
strength  and  courage.  They  directed  her  to  God  and 
she  trusted  in  Him."  Perhaps  she  had  been  so  stunned 
by  the  first  blow  that  she  was  less  sensitive  to  what 
followed ;  and  there  was  no  doubt  the  good  ladies,  and 
their  ministrations,  had  smoothed  her  path  and  strewn 
the  tomb  with  flowers.  They  taught  her  that  afflictions 
were  the  admonitions  of  Heaven,  and  that  a  great  sor- 
row was  a  privilege  and  a  distinction.  Ethel  thought 
her  sister's  heart  was  full  of  noble  resolutions,  but  she 
dreaded  lest  she  might  take  the  veil  and  be  altogether 
lost  to  her.  She  spoke  of  Robert  Holt,  of  his  grief  at 
the  child's  loss,  and  said  Carlotta's  composure  seemed 
to  disturb  him.  She  thought  it  would  be  a  personal 


GATHERING  IN   THE  THREADS.  289 

bereavement  to  Holt  if  her  sister  should  abandon  the 
world.  Then  she  spoke  of  her  own  loneliness,  and  of 
the  comfort  she  found  in  her  letters  from  George ;  of 
Lord  Bolton  and  his  kind  and  delicate  attentions,  and 
hoped  Agnes  was  happy  far  away  from  the  gloom  she 
felt  in  the  De  Luynes  mansion. 

"  What  changes  the  year  has  brought  us ;  how  have 
our  hearts  been  torn  and  our  loved  ones  taken.  Do  we 
see  the  end  yet  ?  There  are  joys  in  life.  Will  it  go  on 
alternating  between  pleasure  and  pain  ?  New  friends 
and  fresh  bereavements,  till  we  lay  down  the  threads, 
and  rest  at  the  journey's  end?"  "Dear  girl,"  Miss 
Winthrop  wrote  Tom  (she  had  copied  this  letter  for 
him),  "  Ethel  has  had  her  own  trials.  Only  a  day  or 
two  before  the  child  Ethel  fell  ill,  Lord  Bolton,  whom 
she  greatly  esteemed,  proposed  for  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage. He  did  not  sue  like  an  ardent  lover ;  he  told  her 
frankly  of  his  bereavements,  but  there  was  no  one  on 
earth,  he  said,  whom  he  should  so  gladly  call  his 
wife.  Ethel  was  surprised  and  pained ;  '  I  wish  this 
had  not  happened,'  she  told  him,  '  you  are  so  kind,  and 
you  honor  me  so  much,  that  I  would  not  cause  you  a 
regret.  What  you  propose  is  impossible,  for  reasons 
which  you  will  understand,  and  which  you  will  not 
desire  me  to  explain.  Forget  this  passing  fancy,  Lord 
Bolton,  and  honor  me  with  your  friendship  which  I 
shall  highly  prize.'  '  May  I  ask  if  you  are  engaged  ? ' 
said  Lord  Bolton,  kindly.  '  Yes,  to  George  Winthrop,' 
she  answered.  *  George  Winthrop,  whom  I  have  never 
seen/  repeated  his  Lordship  slowly.  '  How  strangely 
we  two  have  crossed  each  other's  path.'  " 


13 


CHAPTEK  XXV. 

NOUS  VERRONS. 

MONTHS  have  passed,  and  there  has  been  high  holiday 
at  the  Winthrop  mansion  in  Boston.  It  is  the  anni- 
versary of  Tom's  first  meeting  with  Agnes,  and  the 
wedding  day  of  Capt.  Thomas  Conant,  M.P.,  and  Miss 
Agnes  Winthrop,  and  of  Frederick  Cuthbert,  Esq.,  and 
Miss  Elmwood,  of  Bloomfield. 

Tom's  mother  and  Miss  Alice  Cuthbert  had  come  out 
from  England  to  witness  the  nuptials.  Agnes  had 
desired  that  the  names  of  a  third  couple  should  be 
added  to  the  happy  list,  but  George  and  Ethel  felt  that 
the  days  of  their  mourning  were  not  over.  The  cere- 
mony was  strictly  private,  and  only  relatives  had  been 
invited.  Capt.  Strong  was  the  only  exception,  and  the 
sweet  young  life  of  Alice  was  pledged  to  him,  but  her 
father  had  said  she  was  too  young,  and  they  must  wait 
another  year.  Lord  Bolton  and  Robert  were  in  Eng- 
land. Uncle  Horace  had  been  indefatigable  in  his 
attentions  during  the  day,  but  it  was  evening  now,  and 
the  shadows  seemed  to  have  clouded  his  spirits. 

"He  has  been  unstrung  for  weeks,"  said  Agnes  to 
Tom. 

"He  mourns  for  you,"  he  answered.  "Yes,"  con- 
tinued the  young  wife,  "  he  will  miss  me ;  but  he  has 
another  and  deeper  grief.  We  are  not  lost  to  him,  but 


NOUS    VERRONS.  291 

his  good  heart  has  refused  to  be  comforted  since  Car- 
lotta  left  the  world.  It  is  one  short  year  since  we  knew 
each  other ;  our  love  has  made  us  so  happy  in  spite  of 
many  trials !  My  dear  husband,  how  mercifully  we 
have  been  spared,  while  our  path  has  been  shadowed 
by  the  sad  experiences  of  our  friends." 

"  They  would  indeed  make  a  book,"  he  rejoined. 
"  A  sad  story !  Our  lives  have  skimmed  along  social 
and  national  issues,  and  we  have  discussed  them  under 
the  guidance  of  great  and  sympathetic  minds.  We 
have  set  an  example  to  those  who  should  strengthen 
the  bonds  which  might  bind  kindred  peoples  closer 
together ;  while  our  trials  have  kept  us  mindful  of  the 
vicissitudes  of  life,  and  may  thus  point  a  moral  and 
adorn  a  tale.  The  fascinations  of  romance  are  not 
wanting.  Will  you  write,  Agnes?" 

"How  dare  I?" 

"  But  it  need  not  see  the  light." 

"  Some  of  the  best  characters  would  be  unfinished. 
Where  could  I  leave  Lord  Bolton  and  Robert  Holt?" 

"  Oh,  all  our  lives  will  go  on.  and  if  your  book  were  a 
success,  you  might,  by-and-by,  follow  it  with  a  sequel." 

"  Nous  verrons,  my  darling,"  said  Agnes,  "  but  if  I 
wrote,  I  should  say  a  great  deal  about  you  and  our 
other  friends,  and  with  tears  I  should  christen  my  book 
'  Maurice  De  Luynes.' " 


Time  has  sped  happily  with  Agnes,  but  absorbed  with 
social  and  domestic  care,  she  has  not  yet  written ;  per- 
haps these  hasty  chronicles  may  touch  her  heart,  and 
it  may  be,  her  more  finished  work  will  shortly  follow 
them. 


if/6, 


